By Roxana Tiron and Magdalena Del Valle
Dec 6, 2025 (Bloomberg) – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed his strong support for recent US airstrikes against boats suspected of drug trafficking near the Venezuelan coast. He stated he would have made the same decision as the admiral who ordered additional strikes targeting survivors.
These airstrikes, which number nearly two dozen in the Caribbean and Pacific, have faced bipartisan criticism. Reports indicating that a September strike included a follow-up attack to eliminate two survivors clinging to wreckage have raised concerns about potential war crimes.
“From what I understood then and what I understand now, I fully support that strike,” Hegseth declared during a speech at the Reagan Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. “I would have made the same call myself.”
His comments on Saturday expanded on his earlier remarks at the White House, where he appeared to place the responsibility for the second strike on Admiral Frank Bradley, who ordered it.
Hegseth highlighted the Trump administration's policy of destroying boats and targeting alleged drug traffickers, referring to them as enemy combatants rather than criminals. This policy has sparked significant debate in Congress and among legal scholars regarding its legality and the actual intentions of the boats.
“The days in which these narco-terrorists, designated terror organizations, operate freely in our hemisphere are over,” Hegseth asserted. “These narco-terrorists are the al-Qaeda of our hemisphere.”
Democratic lawmakers who viewed video footage of the attacks found it troubling and have requested access to the entire clip. President Donald Trump has indicated he would permit its public release after it was presented to Congress members.
On Saturday, Hegseth mentioned that the Pentagon is currently reviewing the video but did not confirm whether it would be made public.
Hegseth noted that he was not present when Bradley ordered the second strike and has tried to distance himself from that specific decision. Officials from the White House and Pentagon have maintained that the strikes were a lawful use of force.
Bradley, a Navy SEAL, informed US lawmakers that there was no "kill all" order from Hegseth regarding the second attack on the boat intended to target the two survivors clinging to the wreckage, as reported by The Washington Post. Hegseth stated that he was not in the room during the follow-up strike but fully supports Bradley's judgment.
This past Saturday, he added that he would have ordered the second strike himself.
Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican whose vote was crucial for Hegseth's narrow confirmation in January and who is set to retire from Congress, described the second strike as “a violation of ethical, moral and legal code.”
Hegseth strongly advocated for the administration's military strategies and vision since Trump resumed office, including airstrikes in Yemen, an attack on Iran’s nuclear program, and operations that have resulted in over 80 casualties in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
“Past administrations perpetuated the belief that the Monroe Doctrine had expired,” Hegseth said. “They were wrong. The Monroe Doctrine is in effect, and it is stronger than ever under the Trump corollary, marking a sensible restoration of our power and interests in this hemisphere.”
Hegseth also faced criticism this week after the Pentagon’s internal watchdog reported that he had compromised US troops' safety by sharing detailed attack plans via an unsecured Signal group chat earlier this year. While Hegseth claimed the report cleared him of wrongdoing, the internal watchdog found that he violated Pentagon regulations by using his personal phone for this communication. However, Hegseth stated on Saturday that he has "no regrets" regarding the Signal incident.