WATCH: Hegseth says commanders overseeing alleged drug boat strikes have 'done the right things'
December 2, 2025
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1:53Now PlayingWATCH: Hegseth says commanders overseeing alleged drug boat strikes have 'done the right things'
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as posted by the channelDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the military commanders leading the U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats, saying Tuesday they have "done the right things."
"They're making judgment calls and ensuring that they defend the American people," Hegseth said during a meeting of President Donald Trump's Cabinet. "They've done the right things. We'll keep doing that, and we have their backs."
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced concerns that a strike on a suspected drug boat in early September may have violated the law after a report suggested that the military fired a second time to kill survivors. Congressional committees say they will investigate the incident.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the military fired twice on a single alleged drug boat on Sept. 2, identifying U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Frank Bradley as having ordered the second strike. She said he "worked well within his authority and the law."
The Trump administration has attacked at least 21 boats and killed more than 80 people as part of its campaign strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
"Deterrence has to matter, not arrest and handover and then do it again," Hegseth said.
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