Hegseth warns additional strikes on drug cartels could come after 11 killed

Published September 3, 2025 9:47am ET



Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previewed the possibility of additional strikes targeting drug cartels in bodies of water off the U.S. coastline.

U.S. forces carried out a strike on Tuesday morning against a vessel the president said was being operated by Tren de Aragua. The strike killed the 11 people on board. It was a dramatic escalation, but an expected one due to the military’s increased efforts to go after the cartels in Central and South America.

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