As part of the Pentagon’s anti-drug campaign, the US has been targeting vessels in the Caribbean, striking dozens of boats and killing at least 87 people.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended on Saturday the strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, and emphasised US President Donald Trump can take military action "as he sees fit" to defend the nation.
"If you are working for a designated terrorist organisation and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it," Hegseth said during his keynote address at the Reagan National Defence Forum.
The statement comes as Hegseth faces growing scrutiny over a 2 September attack, in which US forces launched a follow-up strike that killed survivors, of which the Pentagon was aware of, of an initial hit on a susepcted drug vessel.
The attack was carried out by the Florida-based Southern Command, under the directive of Hegseth. Lawmakers from both parties have questioned the legality and oversight of the campaign, and several Democrats called for Hegseth's resignation.
Officials from US President Donald Trump's administration said Hegseth did not order the additional strike, and an admiral who oversees elements of the operation also denied issuing, receiving, or relaying instructions to kill everyone on board, which had been attributed to the defence secretary in media reports.
According to Hegseth, he had seen the first strike but left to another meeting and did not witness the second. This did not prevent Hegseth from supporting the decision, as on Saturday, the defence secretary said he "would have made the same call" himself.
Since the start of the operation, 23 vessels were targeted and dozens killed. The latest strike on a suspected narcoboat just days ago killed four people, raising the death toll to at least 87 people.