Hegseth Cites ‘Fog of War’ in Defending Follow-On Strike on Alleged Drug Boat

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (C) speaks during a Cabinet meeting alongside (L-R) U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. A bipartisan Congressional investigation has begun regarding Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s role in ordering U.S. military strikes on small boats in the waters off Venezuela that have killed scores of people, which Hegseth said are intended “to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people.” (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is citing the “fog of war” in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea in early September. During Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he did not see any survivors in the water, saying the boat “exploded in fire.” Hegseth also said he “didn’t stick around” for the remainder of the mission following the initial strike, and said the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering it, which he “had complete authority to do.” Lawmakers have opened investigations following a Washington Post report that Hegseth issued a verbal order to “kill everybody” on the boat.