U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sent a clear and uncompromising message on Friday: “We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists.”
Hegseth’s statements signal that the Trump administration’s campaign against transnational drug cartels has entered a more aggressive phase.
The secretary made the declaration in a late-night post on social media and doubled down just two minutes later, slamming the “fake news” media for attempting to discredit the troops carrying out lethal operations against cartel operatives.
“These highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be lethal, kinetic strikes,” Hegseth wrote. “The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”
The secretary stressed that all actions are fully lawful, both under U.S. law and international statutes. “All actions are in compliance with the law of armed conflict,” Hegseth said, reinforcing that these operations are deliberate and legal military actions, not rogue attacks.
Hegseth’s remarks sharply contrast with the previous Biden administration’s approach, which he criticized as overly soft, per Breitbart News.
“The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence,” he said. “The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists; we kill them.”
The secretary’s posts came amid a renewed focus on treating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Hegseth has argued that the deadly operations are necessary because cartel operatives are directly responsible for the inflow of lethal drugs into the United States, contributing to a national crisis of addiction, overdose, and violence.
While the statements are strong, they also underscore the Trump administration’s broader national security strategy: confront threats aggressively and without compromise.
By labeling cartel members as narco-terrorists, the administration is signaling a willingness to employ full military force rather than relying on traditional law enforcement tactics.
Hegseth’s posts were not just a warning to the cartels. They were also a clear shot at the media and critics who question the administration’s tactics.
“More fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting” is being used to attack the troops fighting on the front lines, he said, insisting that the media coverage undermines public understanding of the lethal threat posed by the cartels.
This approach marks a turning point in the U.S.’s ongoing war on drugs.
While the country has long struggled with cartel violence and drug trafficking, Hegseth’s rhetoric indicates a new phase: one in which the military is fully engaged, targeting the operatives responsible for flooding U.S. communities with deadly substances.
For Americans struggling with the consequences of cartel activity, Hegseth’s words send a stark message: the Trump administration is no longer holding back. The offensive against narco-terrorists has begun, and it is poised to escalate in a way that has not been seen before.
