HEGSETH: ‘THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON YOU’: In an unannounced visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth told U.S. troops they are on the front lines of a coming battle with drug cartels that are “poisoning the American people.”
“Make no mistake about it, what you’re doing right now is not training. This is the real-world exercise on behalf of the vital national interest of the United States of America to end the poisoning of the American people,” Hegseth told the sailors and Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima. “You’re trained. You’re prepared. You’re ready, and you’re lethal, and the American people are counting on you. … Narco terrorists and drug traffickers are on notice.”
The short, highly produced video, complete with a dramatic music score and posted on Hegseth’s X page, was the only official account of the visit, and no transcript of his remarks has been posted on the Pentagon’s webpage. “It’s not if, it’s when you’re on mission,” Hegseth said. “The full power of the American military, used precisely, with a clear mission, will be used to ensure the American people are kept safe.”
Hegseth’s pep talk to the troops at an Air National Guard base east of the capital of San Juan, and embarkation on the Iwo Jima, comes as the U.S. reportedly is preparing to move 10 top-of-the-line F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico for the counternarcotics mission. Word of the deployment came after Venezuela flew two aging F-16s over U.S. ships in the Caribbean in response to last week’s U.S. drone strike on a speedboat suspected of carrying 11 Venezuelan smugglers from the Tren de Aragua drug cartel.
President Donald Trump warned future flyovers could be met with lethal force on Friday. “If they fly in a dangerous position, I would say that you can, you or your captains can make the decision as to what they want to do,” Trump said in the Oval Office, directing his comments to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. “If they do put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down.”
MADURO: ‘WE HAVE DECLARED MAXIMUM PREPAREDNESS’: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has a $50 million bounty over his head and is charged with narco-terrorism by the U.S. and designated as leader of Cartel of the Suns by the U.S. Treasury Department, has called the buildup of U.S. naval forces off the coast of his country “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.”
At a news conference in Caracas last week, Maduro announced he was deploying troops along the coast and border with neighboring Colombia, as well as urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia. “In the face of this maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum preparedness for the defense of Venezuela,” Maduro said.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Monday the U.S. was targeting the wrong country, suggesting that its neighbor Colombia was the major drug threat to the U.S. “Those ships that are trying to intimidate Venezuela today should be there in the Pacific if they truly wanted to fight and prevent cocaine from reaching the United States of America,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “They have a GPS location problem. They’re where they shouldn’t be. They need to calibrate their GPS.”
QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT DRUG BOAT STRIKE: Some legal experts and advocacy groups are raising questions about the justification for the U.S. strike against the small speedboat that was tracked leaving Venezuela and was believed to be carrying drugs bound for the U.S.
“We knew exactly who was in that boat, we knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented,” Hegseth said the day after the strike on Fox News. “And that was Tren de Aragua, a narco-terrorist organization designated by the United States, trying to poison our country with illicit drugs.”
“The strike, which occurred outside the context of armed conflict, raises serious concerns about human rights, due process, and the rule of law,” the advocacy group Center for Civilians in Conflict said in a statement on Monday. “All people, no matter where they live or what crime they have been accused of, have fundamental human rights, including the rights to life and due process. Using lethal force in this way, outside of any recognizable armed conflict and without due process, is an extrajudicial execution, not an act of war.”
When a critic on X suggested that killing citizens of another nation who are civilians without due process is a war crime, Vice President JD Vance responded, “I don’t give a s*** what you call it,” adding in a separate post, “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.”
That exchange prompted Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to chime in, “JD ‘I don’t give a shit’ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military.’ Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation??”
“What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial,” Paul posted on X.
WAR DEPARTMENT MEMO CONFIRMS BORDER IS TRUMP’S TOP SECURITY PRIORITY
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre
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NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will not publish the week of Monday, Sept. 22, as we take an autumn hiatus.
HAPPENING TODAY: War Secretary Pete Hegseth will host Singapore’s Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing for a Pentagon meeting at 3 p.m.
TRUMP: ‘I DON’T KNOW WHY CHICAGO ISN’T CALLING US’: The Department of Homeland Security has begun its crackdown on illegal immigration in Chicago, codenamed “Operation Midway Blitz.”
“This operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew @GovPritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them,” the DHS said on X. But so far, the operation involves only Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, with Trump appearing reluctant to dispatch federalized National Guard troops without an invitation from Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL).
“I don’t know why Chicago isn’t calling us, saying, ‘Please give us help,’” Trump said in remarks delivered to the White House Religious Liberty Commission on Monday. “When you have over just a short period of time, 50 murders and hundreds of people shot, and then you have a governor that stands up and says how crime is just fine, it’s really crazy.”
“With the governor and the mayor, you try and reason with them and it’s like you’re talking to a wall,” Trump said. “I assume it’s just a political ideology. They’re not stupid people. Must be an ideology that’s just buried in their head and you can’t do a damn thing about it. And we’d love to go into Chicago and straighten it out.”
TRUMP INTENSIFIES WAR WITH PRITZKER AS CHICAGO AWAITS IMMINENT DECISION ON FEDERAL TAKEOVER
ABOUT THAT HYUNDAI RAID: It now appears that ICE raid of a Hyundai factory in Georgia last week — in which ICE rounded up 475 workers, chained and shackled them, and loaded them on buses for detention — included about 300 highly trained engineers who were in the country legally on short-term visas because their expertise was needed to get an electric battery plant up and running.
Trump admitted as much Sunday night when he spoke to reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “It’s a battery factory,” Trump said. “You know when they’re building batteries. If you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along and let some people come in and train our people.”
“We’re going to look at that whole situation. We have a lot of industries that we don’t have anymore, and we’re gonna have to train people,” Trump said. “I think we may have learned something because when they come here and there’s nobody that can do what they’re supposed to be doing, and they bring people, those people can also teach our people. You know, it’s complicated stuff. And something very interesting could come out of that. Thank you, everybody.”
A lawyer for several detained South Korean nationals at the Hyundai factory in Georgia told the Associated Press that the engineers and equipment installers were doing work authorized under the B-1 business visitor visa program and that they had planned to be in the U.S. for just a couple of weeks.
“Never longer than 75 days,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Russia strikes thermal power facility in Kyiv as Trump renews sanction threat
Washington Examiner: Wright tells EU that sanctions hinge on ending purchases of Russian oil and gas
Washington Examiner: War Department memo confirms border is Trump’s top security priority
Washington Examiner: Trump intensifies war with Pritzker as Chicago awaits imminent decision on federal takeover
Washington Examiner: California Democrats blast Supreme Court for greenlighting Trump’s ‘roving patrols’
Washington Examiner: National Guard breaks up fistfight in DC
Washington Examiner: Taiwanese president says Trump is bolstering support for island amid China’s expansionism
Washington Examiner: Venezuela boosting effort against drug trafficking after US boat strike
Washington Examiner: What to know about fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte’s light rail
Washington Examiner: Mike Johnson clarifies claim Trump was FBI informant against Epstein: ‘This isn’t my lane’
Washington Examiner: Trump ordered White House peace vigil to come down. It’s still there
AP: Israeli military urges full evacuation of Gaza City ahead of expanded military operation
Military Times: House, Senate Leaders Look to Speed Up NDAA Work This Week
Wall Street Journal: US-China Rivalry Sparks a Submarine Arms Race
New York Times: Tanks Were Just Tanks, Until Drones Made Them Change
AP: Raid at Georgia Hyundai plant sends home 300 South Korean workers, straining ties with a key US ally
Bloomberg: US Army Awards Combat Goggle Contracts to Anduril-META Team, Rivet
The War Zone: MQ-28 Ghost Bat with Aerial Refueling Capability Hinted at by Boeing
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force’s MOPs Crushed Iranian Nuclear Site. Now for a New Version
Air & Space Forces Magazine: SDA Director Tournear Departing on Eve of Crucial Launch
Breaking Defense: MQ-4C Triton Green-Lit for Initial Operations Despite ‘Open Deficiencies’: Pentagon Watchdog
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Trio of Air Force Generals Nominated for Third Stars
AP: Trump celebrates West Point alumni group canceling award ceremony to honor Tom Hanks
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Opinion: The Right Military Leader for the Air Force
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 9
8 a.m. 65 I St. SW — Axios discussion: “Future of Defense: Space, Satellites and Security,” with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI); Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX); Rep. Seth Moulton (D-M); Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance; and Kari Bingen, director, Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Aerospace Security Project https://axiosfutureofdefense-spacesatellitesandsecurity.splashthat.com/
8 a.m. 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Politico in person and virtual discussion: “Policy Outlook: Cybersecurity,” with Caitlin Clarke, senior director of cybersecurity services at Venable; Matt Hayden, vice president of cyber and emerging threats at General Dynamics Information Technology; and retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation https://policyoutlookcybersecurity.splashthat.com/CMS
8:30 a.m. Washington Convention Center — Billington CyberSecurity Summit through Sept 12, with White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross; Army CIO Leonel Garciga; Michael Duffy, federal chief information security officer, Office of Management and Budget; Alexei Bulazel, special assistant to the president and senior director for cyber, White House at the National Security Council; Navy CIO Jane Rathbun; and Jennifer Link, CIA chief information security officer https://billingtoncybersummit.com/
9:15 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “U.S. Leadership in a Challenging World,” with former CIA Director William Burns https://carnegieendowment.org/events
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “America’s propulsion advantage,” with Steve Russell, vice president and general manager, GE Aerospace Edison Works; and retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean, Mitchell Institute https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/steve-russell/
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group and Cisco virtual discussion: “Modernizing for AI: Building Secure Networks for Mission Impact,” with Harry Hayes, artificial intelligence development lead at the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab; Timothy Shives, professor of practice at the Naval Postgraduate School; and Kevin Manwiller, senior operations director of national security programs at Cisco https://events.govexec.com/building-secure-networks-for-mission-impact/
5 p.m. 1521 16th St. NW — Institute of World Politics discussion: “Russian Information and Cyber Warfare Threats: What We Know from the Russian Attack on Ukraine,” with David Smith, former professor of cybersecurity at Utica College and former U.S. chief negotiator at the U.S.-Soviet Defense and Space Talks https://www.iwp.edu/russuan-information-and-cyber-warfare-threats/
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 10
8:30 a.m. Washington Convention Center — Billington CyberSecurity Summit through Sept 12, with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff https://billingtoncybersummit.com/
8:45 a.m. 151 St. George Blvd, Oxon Hill, Md. — Defense Strategies Institute Military Tactical Communications Summit, discussion: “Enhancing the Army’s Tactical Networks to Enable a Leaner, More Lethal and Better Equipped Force” taccom.dsigroup.org
1 p.m. — Heritage Foundation virtual discussion: “The Muslim Brotherhood Threat, National Security, and America’s Global Leadership,” with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX); Victoria Coates, vice president, Heritage Institute for National and former deputy national security adviser https://www.heritage.org/terrorism/event/senator-cruz
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 11
8:30 a.m. Washington Convention Center — Association for Talent Development Government Workforce Conference, with Army Col. Kris Saling, director of innovation and Army talent innovation at the Office of the assistant Army secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs https://governmentworkforce.td.org/
8:40 a.m. — National September 11 Memorial and Museum 24th Anniversary Commemoration, https://911memorialmuseum.brightcovegallery.com
8:50 a.m. Pentagon, 9/11 Memorial — Pentagon 9-11 observance ceremony https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/36733
9:45 a.m. 6424 Lincoln Highway, Stoystown, Pa.— National Park Service “Moment of Remembrance” event at the Flight 93 National Memorial, Memorial Plaza, Wall of Names, Stoystown, Pa. https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/september-11-events-schedule.htm
12 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “U.S.-Iraq security partnership after Operation Inherent Resolve,” with former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey; Victoria Taylor, director, Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative and Middle East Programs; and Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme and director of Chatham House Iraq Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/us-iraq-security-partnership
12 p.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum, “The Abraham Accords at Five Years: Resilience and Roadblocks,” with former Israeli Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Amir Hayek, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; Victoria Coates, vice president, Heritage Foundation’s Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy; former U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Yael Lampert; and Ahdeya al-Sayed, former president, Bahrain Journalists Association https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
3 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Europe with Less U.S.: Preventing Russia Opportunistic Aggression in Europe,” with retired Air Force Gen. Phillip Breedlove, former commander, U.S. European Command and former supreme allied commander Europe; retired Navy Adm. James Foggo, former commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and former commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples; Andrea Kendall-Taylor, program director and senior fellow at the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program; and Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow at the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/brussels-sprouts-live-understanding-russias-calculus
4 p.m. 400 block of E St. NW, — National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 9/11 memorial program https://nleomf.org/event/9-11-ceremony-to-honor-the-fallen-2/
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 12
8:30 a.m. Washington Convention Center — Billington CyberSecurity Summit, with Douglas “Doug” Matty, chief digital and AI officer at the Pentagon Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office; Matthew “Matt” Turek, deputy director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Information Innovation Office https://billingtoncybersummit.com
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “U.S.-China Trade Wars,” with Michael Froman, president, Council on Foreign Relations; Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director, Brookings Foreign Policy Program; and Ryan Hass, director, Brookings China Center and senior fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Center for Asia Policy Studies https://www.brookings.edu/events/u-s-china-trade-wars-a-conversation-with-michael-froman/
10:30 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation discussion: “Taiwan’s Strategy for Peace, Prosperity, and Partnership with the United States,” with Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-Cheng https://www.heritage.org/china/event/taiwans-strategy
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 25
11 a.m. — Arms Control Association annual meeting, hosted at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif; former Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification Mallory Stewart; Senior International/Defense Researcher at RAND Kingston Reif; and Fifth General Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation Bridget Moix https://www.armscontrol.org/2025AnnualMeeting
