US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has strongly defended a series of controversial military strikes targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels, stating that President Donald Trump possesses full authority to order such actions to safeguard national security. His remarks, made on Saturday, come amid growing scrutiny from lawmakers over the legality of the operations which have reportedly resulted in more than 80 fatalities.
Address at Reagan Forum and Legal Scrutiny
Hegseth delivered his keynote address at the prestigious Reagan National Defense Forum, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. The strikes, authorised by the Trump administration, have faced significant questions from members of Congress regarding their compliance with international law. A particular point of contention is whether US forces were directed to execute a second strike in September despite the Pentagon's awareness of survivors from an initial attack.
Rejecting the mounting criticism, Hegseth framed the aggressive counter-narcotics campaign in stark terms. "If you’re working for a designated terrorist organization and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it," he declared. He further emphasised the President's prerogative, adding, "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation’s interests. Let no country on earth doubt that for a moment."
Comparing Smugglers to Terrorists and Shifting Strategy
In his defence, Hegseth drew a direct parallel between the alleged drug smugglers and operatives of groups like Al-Qaeda, likening the current campaign to the post-9/11 war on terror. However, several independent security experts have been quick to point out that the contexts and the nature of the adversaries in these two scenarios are substantially different.
The Secretary's address followed the release of the Trump administration's updated national security strategy, which signals a tougher stance towards European allies and reasserts American dominance in the Western Hemisphere. Hegseth also underscored the need to counter China's global rise "through strength," reiterating Trump's controversial pledge to resume nuclear testing to match the capabilities of China and Russia—a move that has alarmed nuclear non-proliferation specialists. It is notable that both Beijing and Moscow have refrained from conducting explosive nuclear tests for decades, though Russia has stated it would mirror any US resumption.
Positioning Trump and Dismissing Other Threats
Positioning President Trump as the "true and rightful heir" to Ronald Reagan's foreign policy legacy, Hegseth took aim at past Republican leaders for their support of prolonged Middle East wars and nation-building exercises. He also explicitly dismissed arguments that climate change constitutes a national security risk.
"The war department will not be distracted by democracy building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, climate change, woke moralizing and feckless nation building," Hegseth stated, clearly outlining the administration's focus on what it perceives as direct, tangible threats to American interests.
The robust defence from the Pentagon's top official sets the stage for continued debate in Washington, balancing assertions of executive authority against congressional oversight and international legal norms.
