Hegseth Defends Killing of Survivors in Caribbean Strike

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke at the Reagan National Defense Forum saying President Trump can take “decisive military action as he sees fit.”Source: Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Roxana Tiron and Magdalena Del Valle

December 6, 2025 at 10:16 PM UTC

Updated on

December 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM UTC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on deadly US airstrikes against alleged drug-running boats off the Venezuelan coast, saying he would have made the same call as the admiral who ordered survivors to be killed.

The nearly two dozen strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific have come under bipartisan scrutiny, but recent reports that a September strike included a second one to kill two survivors clinging to wreckage at sea have prompted accusations of possible war crimes.