Hegseth Defends Cartel Strikes, Denies No-Survivors Order

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has defended a series of military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, dismissing reports that he ordered troops to ensure no survivors during the campaign's first attack. The operations, which began on September 2 and have resulted in more than 80 deaths, are part of the Trump administration's effort to target drug cartels amid a declared armed conflict with such groups.

The initial strike occurred on September 2, when U.S. military personnel launched a missile at a speedboat carrying 11 individuals accused of smuggling drugs into the United States. According to officials with direct knowledge of the operation, two people survived the first impact and emerged from the wreckage in the water. A Special Operations commander then ordered a second missile strike, which killed the survivors. The administration has described all targets as affiliated with designated terrorist organizations involved in narcotrafficking.

In a statement posted on social media Friday evening, Hegseth rejected accounts of his involvement in the no-survivors directive as "fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory...