Trump defends Hegseth amid row over 2nd strike on Venezuelan boat; Admiral being made scapegoat?

During a press exchange, a reporter questioned President Donald Trump about recent U.S. boat strikes near Venezuela and whether he supported a second strike now acknowledged by his administration. Trump defended the operations broadly, saying the actions save lives by stopping drug trafficking, especially fentanyl, and emphasized he was not briefed on specific strike details. He also warned that the U.S. would target drug networks on land if necessary. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth expanded on the policy, describing cartels as terrorist organizations, outlining intelligence and legal processes behind the strikes, and defending commanders’ decisions as necessary to eliminate narco-terrorist threats.