As tensions rise with China, Russia, and other global rivals, the Department of War has unveiled its 2026 National Defense Strategy, mapping a path for the United States to remain the world’s most formidable fighting force.
The <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/2003864773/-1/-1/0/2026-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY.PDF">strategy</a> emphasizes strengthened deterrence, homeland protection, and long-term competitive advantage, noting that “President Trump in his first term and since reentering office in January 2025 has rebuilt the American military to be the world’s absolute best—its most formidable fighting force.”
The strategy frames a world of heightened competition and risk, with major state actors driving instability. China is identified as the primary strategic competitor, pursuing military modernization and regional dominance in the Indo-Pacific. 
“Our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies,” the document states. Russia remains an acute threat through aggression in Europe, while Iran and North Korea are advancing missile and nuclear capabilities, and violent extremist organizations continue to pose global risks.
The strategy highlights three integrated priorities: defend the homeland, deter strategic attacks — particularly nuclear — and deter aggression while preparing to win if conflict occurs. It underscores the recent strikes on Venezuela as a return to the historical foreign policy of the U.S. under the &#8220;Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine,&#8221; which is to “actively and fearlessly defend America’s interests throughout the Western Hemisphere… guarantee U.S. military and commercial access to key terrain, especially the Panama Canal, Gulf of America, and Greenland.”
Implementation is guided by four lines of effort, &#8220;prioritizing the missions that matter most for Americans’ security, freedom, and prosperity.&#8221; 
First, strengthening homeland defenses. Protecting the U.S. from multi-domain threats, including drones, cyber intrusions, and attacks on critical infrastructure, is central. The strategy stresses defending “America’s borders and maritime approaches” and countering unmanned aerial threats through initiatives like Golden Dome for America.
Second, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific. The strategy frames deterrence through capability and posture rather than confrontation. “Our goal in doing so is not to dominate China; nor is it to strangle or humiliate them,” it notes.
Third, reinforcing alliances and partnerships. Burden-sharing is emphasized, with allies expected to take the lead against threats less severe to the United States, while the U.S. provides “critical but more limited support” and makes clear the urgent need for allies to do their part.
Fourth, supercharging the defense industrial base. Domestic production and innovation are a priority, and the strategy stresses the need to “return to being the world’s premier arsenal, one that can produce not only for ourselves but also for our allies and partners at scale, rapidly, and at the highest levels of quality.” The document specifies domestic production of semiconductors, rare-earth elements, and munitions.
Over the next 12 months, the U.S. plans to expand its Pacific deterrence efforts, including investments in naval assets in the region, missile systems, and enhanced coordination with allies to counter China&#8217;s activities. 
The strategy also highlights emerging technologies used by our rivals: hypersonics, drones, cyber operations, and space systems. As such, in 2026, homeland security measures will focus on counter-drone technologies, cyber resilience, and border-related defense capabilities.
Allied engagement will push for increased defense spending, particularly contributions from NATO and Indo-Pacific partnerships. Defense industrial initiatives aim to onshore production and streamline acquisition, supporting U.S. manufacturing and job growth. This is paired with a drive for accelerated research and development in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and unmanned systems on American soil. 
Nuclear modernization programs will advance, ensuring that deterrence remains robust. 
The strategy concludes that the U.S. must “defend the homeland, deter aggression abroad, and maintain enduring advantages in the technologies, industries, and forces that make victory certain.” 
Overall, the new National Strategy positions the military for a leaner, more focused posture, prioritizing core warfighting readiness over expansive overseas commitments for the coming years.

Hegseth

‘Most Formidable Fighting Force’: 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy Eyes China, Emerging Threats

U.S. Sets 2026 Military Priorities, Eyes China And Emerging Threats

China

Defense Spending

Department of War

Pete Hegseth

Russia

U.S. Military

War Department Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson says a lot has changed in the United States military over the last year — and that at the end of the day, it all comes down to a shift in the culture.
Wilson sat down with The Daily Wire&#8217;s Mary Margaret Olohan to discuss some of the changes made at the Pentagon and within the ranks since President Donald Trump began his second term and put decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth in charge of his War Department.
&#8220;The biggest changes have really been the culture,&#8221; she said, adding, &#8220;We&#8217;ve gotten away from the ideology in the military, the politics. No more climate change, no more dudes in dresses, as the Secretary likes to say. We&#8217;re getting back to actual war fighting and the Warrior Ethos — standards, fitness, eating right, merit-based programs.&#8221;
Wilson said that the cultural shift also included a move toward promoting those who earned it through merit rather than those who simply checked the right boxes in pursuit of an ideological agenda.
&#8220;That has refocused the Department on our core mission,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And what that&#8217;s allowed us to do is be more lethal.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Wilson touted several major operations, from the surgical strikes on narcoterrorists in the Caribbean to the more recent arrest and extraction of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, and said that effective leadership and a shift toward lethality were behind those successes and many others.
A shift in priorities, Wilson said, was also underway, from &#8220;nation-building&#8221; and toward &#8220;war-fighting.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re making sure that our missions aren&#8217;t just drawn out with no clear end state,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;We&#8217;re going in with what success looks like, we&#8217;re making sure we attain that, and then we&#8217;re getting out and protecting the homeland and always putting America first.&#8221;
Wilson also addressed the extreme number of attacks directed at War Secretary Pete Hegseth — attacks that began as soon as he was nominated to head the Pentagon.
&#8220;That&#8217;s because, in many ways, he&#8217;s over the target,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;And he&#8217;s somebody who&#8217;s going to be a true change agent at the Department of War, and he, from day one, has gotten to work implementing all of those changes. And I think he gets so much hate, especially from the mainstream media and from the leftwing politicians in D.C. because he is that change agent. He&#8217;s not your typical Secretary of Defense who has maybe contracted for the big defense companies &#8230; he&#8217;s a true soldier&#8217;s soldier.&#8221;
Wilson rounded out the interview with a few details about the recent mission to capture Maduro and the plan to revamp the long-standing military publication Stars and Stripes, along with a promise that the War Department would always continue to put the warfighters first.

Screenshot/The Daily Wire

How The Pentagon Went From ‘Dudes In Dresses’ To ‘Actual War Fighting’

The Culture Has Changed: War Dept. Spox Describes New Direction For U.S. Military

Donald Trump

Military

In a stunning revelation that underscores the malevolent depths of the Iranian regime, a new investigation by Catherine Herridge suggests that the 2020 Iranian ballistic missile attack on Al Asad Air Base was far more than a conventional strike. While the public was told at the time that no Americans died, the reality is a nightmare of traumatic brain injuries and the alleged use of &#8220;dirty&#8221; warheads laced with toxic agents and radioactive materials.
According to military records obtained by Herridge’s team, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) didn&#8217;t just want to create craters in a runway; they were conducting a live-fire test of their most heinous capabilities. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Alan Johnson, who survived the attack, believes Iran intentionally deployed contaminated warheads to inflict long-term damage on American troops in retaliation for the death of Qasem Soleimani. Johnson said one specific missile had a &#8220;heat signature&#8221; entirely different from the others.
The evidence is hard to ignore. Military testing records reportedly identified radioactive isotopes like actinium-228, bismuth-214, and cesium-137 at the site — substances that experts say have no business being near a conventional missile. Retired JAG lawyer Robert Broadbent was blunt: before the attack, there was no radiation at Al Asad. After the missiles landed? The environment was toxic. The military’s own quiet admission of this reality is perhaps the most damning: every service member now deployed to the base is issued a dosimeter to monitor radiation exposure.
For the soldiers on the ground, surviving the initial blast has turned into a slow-motion catastrophe. Service members in their 20s and 30s are now facing thyroid cancer, homelessness, and mental health issues. Johnson himself is being screened for cancer, while at least six others in his group have already been diagnosed.
The investigation suggests that the IRGC bypassed the runways and specifically targeted living quarters and dining facilities to maximize the toxic exposure of U.S. personnel.
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IRAN-DEFENCE

Investigation: Iran Accused Of Using ‘Dirty’ Radioactive Warheads On U.S. Troops In 2020

Investigation: Iran Accused Of Using 'Dirty' Radioactive Warheads On U.S. Troops In 2020

Catherine Herridge

Dirty Warheads

Iran

radioactive

Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said that she is under federal investigation following her role in a video made by Democratic lawmakers in November, urging military members to &#8220;refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
Slotkin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/politics/slotkin-pirro-trump-justice-dept-video.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">told</a> The New York Times on Monday that the office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, reached out to the Senate sergeant-at-arms to request an interview with the first-term senator or her private counsel. Pirro&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire that it neither confirms nor denies &#8220;the existence of an investigation.&#8221;
Slotkin, a former CIA officer, organized the <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948">video message</a> to military members, which included five other Democratic lawmakers who are also veterans. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO) all appeared in Slotkin&#8217;s video and told military members, &#8220;This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution,&#8221; the Democrats added. &#8220;Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren&#8217;t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders &#8230; you must refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
The Trump administration has referred to the group of Democrats in the video as the &#8220;Seditious Six,&#8221; arguing that their message is an attempt to undermine the commander-in-chief&#8217;s authority over the military. After the video was released, President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115582703277798715">suggested</a> that it constituted &#8220;seditious behavior, punishable by death.&#8221; Trump later said that he was not threatening the Democrats with the death penalty, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-democrats-sedition-death-threat-military-rcna245156">adding</a>, “I think they’re in serious trouble. I would say they’re in serious trouble. I’m not threatening death, but I think they’re in serious trouble. In the old days, it was death. That was seditious behavior.”
Sen. Kelly, a retired astronaut and naval officer, is currently under investigation by the War Department for his role in the &#8220;seditious video,&#8221; and War Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-moves-to-strip-mark-kelly-of-rank-and-pay-over-seditious-military-video">moved</a> earlier this month to strip Kelly of his rank and retirement pay. Kelly filed a lawsuit against Hegseth on Monday, arguing that Hegseth&#8217;s action violates the First Amendment.
&#8220;Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable,&#8221; Kelly <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2010787235549876286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2011151451381498107%7Ctwgr%5E51310249b3c4ab3a335554f0d8d33fc75ab47b7d%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fpete-hegseth-hits-back-at-captain-mark-kelly-he-knows-exactly-what-he-did">said</a>. &#8220;His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.&#8221;
Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-hegseth-hits-back-at-captain-mark-kelly-he-knows-exactly-what-he-did?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Pete+Hegseth+Hits+Back+At+%E2%80%98Captain%E2%80%99+Mark+Kelly%3A+He+%E2%80%98Knows+Exactly+What+He+Did%E2%80%99">fired back</a>, saying that Kelly is &#8220;worried and cranky.&#8221;
“&#8217;Captain&#8217; Kelly knows exactly what he did, and that he will be held to account,&#8221; he added.

Elissa Slotkin

Dem Senator Says Feds Are Investigating Her After Urging Military To ‘Refuse Illegal Orders’

Democrats

Jeanine Pirro

Trump Administration

Nicolas Maduro Transported To Court Hearing

Venezuela Has Been Dealt With. Somali Scammers Should Be Next.

Marco Rubio

Matt Walsh

Nicolas Maduro

Opinion

Somalia

Venezuela

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on December 24, 2022. We’re bringing it back.
 * * *
American service members have often spent their holidays away from loved ones — and in harm&#8217;s way — and the men who found themselves in the besieged Belgian city of Bastogne just before Christmas of 1944 were no exception.
Bastogne, which sits just a few miles from the border of Luxembourg, had been under German control since <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-invasion-of-western-europe-may-1940" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May of 1940</a> and had only been liberated by Allied troops a few months earlier in September — and much of the 101st Airborne Division remained in and around the city.
Other divisions were scattered throughout the surrounding area, many composed of replacement troops who had only recently arrived in Europe: among them were elements of the 106th Infantry &#8220;The Golden Lions,&#8221; the 9th Armored &#8220;Phantom&#8221; Division, and the 28th Infantry &#8220;The Bloody Bucket.&#8221; Some were still waiting for supply drops, ammunition, and even winter uniforms.
The surprise attack began on December 16th when German Panzer divisions pushed back towards Bastogne, catching the mostly-green American troops in the frozen Ardennes Forest off guard and breaking through roadblock after roadblock. Some put up a good fight, but many were driven back into Bastogne and forced to regroup.
On December 17th, just outside of a nearby town called <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-malmedy-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malmedy</a>, a Hitler Youth graduate turned Waffen SS (Schutzstaffel) General Joachim Peiper and his men captured over 100 American soldiers, all part of Battery B of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After a brief skirmish, the Americans who were unable to escape into the woods surrendered — and after taking their personal possessions from them, Peiper&#8217;s men lined the unarmed Americans up in eight rows in a nearby field and opened fire. The few who survived by pretending to be dead recalled hearing laughter as the SS soldiers fired.
By December 20th, the city of Bastogne itself was under siege, entirely surrounded and vastly outnumbered by the enemy — and word of Peiper and the massacre at Malmedy had gotten to soldiers and civilians alike. Snowy and frigid weather conditions made supply drops all but impossible, and even on the ground, visibility was limited.
Bastogne had also been inundated by &#8220;stragglers&#8221; — soldiers who had been assigned to units that had been overrun as the Germans had moved to encircle the city — and so Team SNAFU (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up) was born. Men from tank battalions, men from artillery groups, cooks, barbers, it no longer mattered: if they could carry a weapon and stand a post, they were temporarily reassigned to SNAFU and used as much-needed replacements to aid the 101st Airborne.
<div id="attachment_848989" style="width: 859px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-848989" class="wp-image-848989 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1140427866-849x576.jpg" alt="Airborne Infantrymen, .30-caliber Machine Gun, Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, 1945. (Photo by: History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)" width="849" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1140427866-849x576.jpg 849w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1140427866-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1140427866-768x521.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1140427866.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px" />History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</div>
<a href="https://www.asomf.org/the-battle-of-the-bulge-asom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Two days into the siege</a>, on December 22nd, a German contingent approached waving a white flag — and delivered an ultimatum to Major Alvin Jones, who commanded the 2nd Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment.
&#8220;The fortune of war is changing. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne,&#8221; the letter read. Demanding surrender — within two hours — the German commander threatened to destroy the city if the Americans did not comply. He also promised that the Americans would be blamed for any resulting civilian casualties.
&#8220;The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hour’s term,&#8221; the German commander wrote. &#8220;All the serious civilian losses caused by this Artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity.&#8221;
&#8220;They want us to surrender,&#8221; Jones told Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe.
McAuliffe, who was acutely aware of the situation, laughed in the face of certain doom: &#8220;Aw nuts!&#8221;
He went to write a return memo, but told his staff, &#8220;I don’t know what to tell them.&#8221;
Lt. Colonel Kinnard commented, &#8220;Well, sir, that first remark of yours would be hard to beat.&#8221;
And so McAuliffe&#8217;s reply read simply: “To the German Commander: Nuts! The American Commander.”
Colonel Joseph H. Harper, commander of 327th Glider Infantry, delivered the note to the Germans — reportedly delighting in the chance to explain to them what it meant: &#8220;If you don’t understand what &#8216;nuts&#8217; means, in plain English, it is the same as, &#8216;Go to Hell.’”
McAuliffe followed that note with an <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2021/12/nuts-mcauliffes-1944-christmas-letter-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">equally blustery</a> Christmas Eve letter to his troops, detailing both the German commander&#8217;s demands and his response.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
75 years ago this Christmas Eve, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe wrote this letter to his troops during the Battle of the Bulge. Today we remember the service members who served during the holidays both then and now and wish you a Merry Christmas! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoVeteranEverDies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoVeteranEverDies</a> <a href="https://t.co/VuYyhYqqVj">pic.twitter.com/VuYyhYqqVj</a>
&mdash; National Cemeteries (@VANatCemeteries) <a href="https://twitter.com/VANatCemeteries/status/1209458808587784192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;What’s Merry about all this, you ask? We’re fighting — it’s cold, we aren’t home,&#8221; McAuliffe&#8217;s letter read. &#8220;All true but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and all the rest? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West.&#8221;
&#8220;We have identifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute Division,&#8221; McAuliffe continued. &#8220;These units, spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in history; not alone in our Division’s glorious history but in World history. The Germans actually did surround us, their radios blared our doom.&#8221;
McAuliffe, after sharing his flippant response to the German demand for surrender, concluded with these words: &#8220;Allied Troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: &#8216;Well Done!&#8217; We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas.&#8221;
The Germans did deliver the <a href="https://www.asomf.org/the-battle-of-the-bulge-asom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised barrage</a> of artillery and bombs, bringing assault after assault over four days beginning on the 22nd — but on December 26th, a late Christmas gift finally arrived: General George S. Patton and his Third Army severed the German lines completely, breaking the siege of Bastogne.
<div id="attachment_848993" style="width: 721px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-848993" class="wp-image-848993 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-119462242-711x576.jpg" alt="American military commander Lieutenant General George S. Patton (1885 - 1945) (center left) talks with Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe (1898 - 1975), Bastogne, France, December 28, 1944. McAuliff commanded the 101st Airborne Division, which was beseiged in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, until the seige was broken by troops under Patton shortly before this picture was taken. (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images)" width="711" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-119462242-711x576.jpg 711w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-119462242-300x243.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-119462242-768x622.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-119462242.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px" />PhotoQuest/Getty Images</div>

Two Infantrymen, Bastogne, Belgium, Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, December 1944

No Silent Night: Christmas Eve At The Siege Of Bastogne, 1944

Europe

Nazi Germany

U.S. Army

World War II

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the Trump administration would not release the &#8220;top-secret&#8221; video of the September 2 drug boat strikes to the public as the administration&#8217;s approval of a second strike continues to face scrutiny.
Hegseth spoke to reporters after he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave senators a classified, closed-door briefing and said that the &#8220;full unedited&#8221; video would only be shown to lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Wednesday.
&#8220;In keeping with longstanding Department of War policy, Department of Defense policy, of course we&#8217;re not going to release a top-secret full unedited video of that to the general public,&#8221; Hegseth said.
Multiple lawmakers have called on Hegseth to release the full video showing the second strike on a suspected drug boat that was taken out by U.S. forces on September 2. Some Democrats have claimed that the U.S. military&#8217;s decision to order a second strike after survivors were spotted in the water constitutes a &#8220;war crime.&#8221;
The strikes on the suspected drug boat in September killed 11 &#8220;narcoterrorists&#8221; who were transporting drugs that the Trump administration believed would have ultimately landed on American shores. The second strike was ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. Bradley is also set to brief lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Wednesday.
Hegseth praised Bradley on Tuesday, saying he has &#8220;done a fantastic job, has made all the right calls.&#8221;
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President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-changes-tune-on-releasing-video-of-second-strike-on-suspected-drug-boat">said</a> earlier this month that he had &#8220;no problem&#8221; with the War Department releasing &#8220;whatever&#8221; it had, but last week, Trump walked back that comment and said, “Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is okay with me.”
Shortly after the strike, the Trump administration released a 29-second clip of the operation targeting a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean, but the clip made public by the War Department does not show the second strike, raising questions of why a second strike was necessary.
Some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have already seen video of the second strike. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said he would not have “any problem” with releasing the footage to the public, but added that the War Department could want to keep it classified since the information could reveal too much to drug cartels about how the U.S. military is conducting the strikes.
“It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing,&#8221; Cotton said. &#8220;It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on Jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.&#8221;
House Democrat Adam Smith, who also saw the video of the second strike, called it “deeply disturbing.”
Nearly 100 suspected drug-runners have been killed in at least 25 strikes ordered by the Trump administration in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September. The most recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-strikes-3-more-suspected-drug-boats-takes-out-8-narco-terrorists?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=U.S.+Strikes+3+More+Suspected+Drug+Boats%2C+Takes+Out+8+%E2%80%98Narco-Terrorists%E2%80%99">strike</a> on Monday killed eight men and took out three boats that the U.S. officials said were “engaged in narco-trafficking.”

War Department Will Not Release Full ‘Top-Secret’ Video Of September Drug Boat Strike, Hegseth Says

Crime

drug trafficking

Politics

The United States Military on Monday took out three more boats in the Eastern Pacific determined to be “engaged in narco-trafficking,” officials said. 
The strikes killed eight men that authorities said were members of Designated Terrorist Organizations. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who is expected to brief lawmakers on Tuesday about the Trump administration’s drug boat strikes, authorized the attack. 
“On Dec. 15, at the direction of [Secretary of War] Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters,” U.S. Southern Command posted on X, alongside a video of the strikes. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking. A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
On Dec. 15, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… <a href="https://t.co/IQfCVvUpau">pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau</a>
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2000756230252314901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Since September, the military has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-hits-3-more-alleged-drug-boats-in-pacific-killing-8-military-says/">carried</a> out strikes on 25 boats, killing around 95 suspected drug traffickers. In a memo to Congress in October, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-congress-u-s-in-armed-conflict-with-terrorist-drug-cartels">wrote</a> that he “determined” that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations. Violent gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have been <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels">designated</a> as foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department. 
Democrat lawmakers have criticized the strikes, arguing that the Trump administration has not provided enough evidence to justify the attacks. Last week, Admiral Frank Bradley was questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee about a second strike carried out on survivors of an earlier strike that had already destroyed a vessel operated by alleged members of Tren de Aragua.
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Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) said after the briefing that the strikes were “entirely lawful and needful.”
&#8220;These are narco-terrorists, Foreign Designated Terrorist Organizations, who are bringing drugs to our shores that have killed millions of Americans and thousands of Arkansans,&#8221; Cotton told reporters. “It&#8217;s my expectation and my deep hope that these strikes will continue.&#8221;
Last week, the House passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act with a provision that would force Hegseth to turn over footage of strikes on suspected drug boats or face cuts to his travel budget. Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet with lawmakers on Tuesday to discuss the strikes and the American strategy with Venezuela.

MixCollage-16-Dec-2025-07-14-AM-7646

U.S. Strikes 3 More Suspected Drug Boats, Takes Out 8 ‘Narco-Terrorists’

drug boat

Pacific Ocean

Two American soldiers who were killed by a member of the Syrian security forces on Saturday were identified as Iowa National Guardsmen Nate Howard and Edgar Torres.
Howard&#8217;s stepfather, the chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department in Iowa, revealed on Saturday night that Howard was one of the soldiers killed when a terrorist believed to have been affiliated with ISIS ambushed U.S. and Syrian troops who were meeting together in the Syrian desert. The gunman also killed Torres and American interpreter Ayad Sakat.
&#8220;My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,&#8221; Chief Jeffrey Bunn <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeskwakiPD/posts/pfbid0R214oWppns4jJKemUmotn6tuf4cQAUe9kZ6X6tgTcZBWtEj8rrtjRbXv5jTTiyncl?rdid=dRE9E1jYYNafIxUD#">said</a>. &#8220;He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind.&#8221;
&#8220;Nate was a loving husband to his wife Arianna Howard, a great son, an amazing man of faith and is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Heaven,&#8221; Bunn added. &#8220;Nate was also a big brother to Staff Sgt James Roelsgard, also deployed through the Iowa National Guard. His little brother will be escorting Nate home. His other Soldiers and the Interpreter were heroes doing what they loved for our Country.&#8221;
Torres was <a href="https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/2-iowa-national-guard-soldiers-killed-syria-attack-loved-ones-friends-remember/524-d3ad46ad-d715-4160-943c-b3ab1efe203c?_ga=2.192374562.928628011.1765810290-1205996525.1765810290">described</a> by his fellow soldiers as a family man and a &#8220;very positive soldier.&#8221; The Iowa National Guard troops were &#8220;conducting a key leader engagement as part of their assigned mission in the ongoing counter-ISIS and counter-terrorism efforts in the region,&#8221; <a href="https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-12-13/two-iowa-guard-soldiers-killed-attack-syria-three-others-wounded">according</a> to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
“Our hearts are heavy today, and our prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of our soldiers killed in action,” Reynolds said.
The attacker clashed with security guards and then opened fire after making his way into a building where American and Syrian troops were eating lunch. The gunman, who has not been identified, was killed by return fire. Syrian officials said that the attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces, but he was about to be dismissed over his &#8220;extremist&#8221; views, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/world/middleeast/syria-isis-attack.html">reported</a>.
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Syria&#8217;s government is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who once led a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, but is now working with U.S. forces to establish control over the country and push out ISIS. The man who killed U.S. troops on Saturday joined the Syrian security forces as a security guard earlier this year, but was transferred to a different unit two months ago over suspicions that he was leaking information to ISIS, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-attack-security-forces-cc45fd7a00c06f8c1426ac589753f961">Associated Press</a>. The gunman was slated to be officially dismissed from his position in the Syrian security forces on Sunday, just one day after he opened fire on American soldiers.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-to-retaliate-after-u-s-troops-killed-by-isis-in-syria">said</a> on Saturday that the shooting &#8220;was an ISIS attack against the U.S.&#8221; and vowed to retaliate.
“We mourn the loss of three great patriots in Syria — you know how it happened, an ambush,” Trump said. “Terrible. We still have three wounded that seem to be doing pretty well. But we mourn the loss, these are great — these are three great people, and just a terrible thing.”
“Syria, by the way, was fighting along with us. The president, the new president of Syria, as they told me … is devastated by what happened. This was an ISIS attack on us and Syria,” he added. “We pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones, very, very sad … and we WILL retaliate.”
Trump met with Syria&#8217;s president in the Oval Office last month for a discussion that focused on rebuilding Syria and keeping terrorists at bay following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad. Trump&#8217;s meeting with al-Sharaa sparked controversy since the Syrian president once led a terrorist organization and had been on the U.S. terror watch list.

Nate Howard

U.S. Soldiers Killed In Syria Identified As Family Man And ‘Amazing Man Of Faith’

Family Man And 'Amazing Man Of Faith' Identified As U.S. Troops Killed In Syria

Syria

Terrorism

Terrorists

The United States has seized a very large <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/venezuela-cries-international-piracy-after-u-s-seizes-oil-tanker?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=9&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Venezuela+Cries+%E2%80%98International+Piracy%E2%80%99+After+U.S.+Seizes+Oil+Tanker">oil tanker</a> off the Venezuelan coast.
President Trump confirmed that the United States had pursued the seizure. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, it was headed to Cuba.
There’s been talk about establishing a no-fly zone around Venezuela. All of this is external pressure, presumably designed to force the possibility of a regime change in Venezuela without any serious threat to American troops going in on the ground.
In <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1998909254854746523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998909254854746523%7Ctwgr%5E8f093637fc0050e48ee90200825bb3534d8c39c8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fvenezuela-cries-international-piracy-after-u-s-seizes-oil-tanker">a video</a>, you can see an American helicopter hovering over a gigantic oil tanker as soldiers begin rappelling down onto the deck. The soldiers, with guns drawn, move toward the control booth, presumably to stop the tanker from moving toward its target.
The United States military is unparalleled at what it does and does not play around.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
KNOCKOUT.
If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you.
Thank you to the brave service members from <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICEGOV</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a>. <a href="https://t.co/KUCRjES267">pic.twitter.com/KUCRjES267</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1998909254854746523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Trump has always been clear in his belief that if the United States is engaged in armed conflict somewhere, we should keep the spoils that we reap. He said that about the Iraq War, suggesting that if you&#8217;re going to go to war, then you may as well take the oil as some form of compensation.
When it comes to the Venezuelan government shipping oil over to Iran in violation of sanctions or allowing the Iranians to combine their oil with Venezuelan oil and ship that elsewhere and ship the money back to Iran, keeping the spoils would be worthwhile.
If it turns out that the United States is now prepared to interdict all oil that may or may not be headed for Iran or from Iran, then this could absolutely cripple the Venezuelan economy even more than it has suffered before.
Venezuela’s economy is highly dependent on oil, mainly through its impact on exports and government revenue. Oil accounts for over 80 to 90% of all total export earnings in recent years. So if that were to shut down, whatever is left of the Venezuelan economy would basically collapse. That seems to be something that the United States is pursuing at this point.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2332-us-seizes-venezuelan-tanker?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Trump has also made clear he is going to put pressure on Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, which has historically been a relatively conservative state. But Petro, a far-left socialist, is more oriented toward China and Iran.
President Trump was asked about Petro describing the seizure as “barbarian.”
“He&#8217;s been fairly hostile to the United States. I haven&#8217;t given him a lot of thought,” Trump replied. “And he’s going to have himself some big problems if he doesn&#8217;t wise up. Colombia is producing a lot of drugs. &#8230; He better wise up or he&#8217;ll be next.”
The United States could put pressure on the Petro regime in Colombia. The next scheduled election for president in Colombia happens in May of 2026. So there&#8217;s every possibility that Petro could be in trouble as well.
All of this seems to be part of a broader national security strategy pursued by the White House. According to the new national security document, the foreign influence of China, Iran, or Russia in the Western hemisphere has to stop.
The national security strategy of the United States is very much a muscular Monroe Doctrine, suggesting that the Western hemisphere be cleared of outside influence.
It’s about time.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Tanker. The Trump Doctrine Is Working.

Ben Shapiro

Colombia

Gulf of America

President Trump

President Donald Trump denied on Monday that he ever supported releasing video of the second strike on a suspected drug boat as controversy continues to swirl around the U.S. military&#8217;s actions in the Caribbean in early September.
Trump said last Wednesday that &#8220;whatever&#8221; Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s War Department had, &#8220;we&#8217;d certainly release, no problem.&#8221; On Monday, however, the president told reporters at the White House that he never agreed to make the full video of the second strike public.
&#8220;Mr. President, you said you would have &#8216;no problem&#8217; with releasing the full video of that strike on September 2 off the coast of Venezuela,&#8221; one reporter stated.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t say that,&#8221; the president <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-boat-strike-video-walks-back-hegseth/">replied</a>. &#8220;You said that, I didn&#8217;t say that.&#8221;
Trump added, &#8220;Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is okay with me.&#8221;
Hegseth has come under fire from Democrats and some Republicans after the &#8220;double-tap&#8221; strike on a boat that the Trump administration said was trafficking illicit drugs to the United States. The administration released a 29-second unclassified video showing the first strike on September 2, but the full video of the follow-up strike has been shown to only a select few lawmakers.
Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to meet with top intelligence committee lawmakers on Tuesday behind closed doors. The Trump officials will likely be asked more questions about the &#8220;double-tap&#8221; strike during the meeting.
Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/donald-trump-full-interview-transcript-00681693">told</a> POLITICO in a wide-ranging interview released on Tuesday that he watched the footage of the second strike and continues to give Hegseth his full confidence.
&#8220;He&#8217;s doing a great job,&#8221; Trump said, adding that he doesn&#8217;t care if Hegseth testifies under oath about the strike.
The president said that the footage was &#8220;not pretty,&#8221; but added, &#8220;It looked like they were trying to turn back over the boat, but I don’t get involved in that.&#8221;
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-cotton-has-no-problem-with-releasing-video-of-drug-boat-double-tap">said</a> on Sunday that he watched the footage of the second strike, adding that he would not have &#8220;any problem&#8221; with releasing the footage to the public.
&#8220;It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing. It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on Jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years,&#8221; Cotton said. He added that he would understand if the War Department had concerns about releasing the footage, since it could reveal too much to drug cartels about how the U.S. military is conducting the strikes.
Democrats who saw the footage are calling on the administration to release the video. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the footage of the second strike was &#8220;deeply disturbing.&#8221;
“There were two survivors on an overturned boat. When they were finally taken out, they weren’t trying to flip the boat over. The boat was clearly incapacitated,&#8221; Smith <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/07/second-strike-democratic-lawmakers-demand-transparency-00679899?_bhlid=01d8baf7452cb3bc38c5bae3f2719ade9b962fbd">said</a>. &#8220;A tiny portion of it remained capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly they were unarmed.”
“Any claim that the drugs had somehow survived that attack is hard to really square with what we saw,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So it was deeply disturbing. It did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight.”
When asked if the War Department would release the additional footage, Hegseth <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-wont-commit-to-releasing-video-second-strike-alleged-drug-boat/">said</a> over the weekend that the administration is currently &#8220;reviewing the process,&#8221; and did not commit to releasing the full video.
&#8220;Whatever we were to decide to release, we&#8217;d have to be very responsible about reviewing that right now,&#8221; Hegseth added.
After Trump ramped up border security upon returning to office, he moved his attention to preventing drugs from reaching American shores. The strikes on the suspected &#8220;narcoterrorists,&#8221; which began in September, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-takes-out-more-suspected-narco-terrorists-as-hegseth-defends-against-war-crime-accusations?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+Takes+Out+More+Suspected+%E2%80%98Narco-Terrorists%E2%80%99+As+Hegseth+Defends+Against+%E2%80%98War+Crime%E2%80%99+Accusations">taken out</a> 23 boats and 87 suspected drug runners.

Trump Changes Tune On Releasing Video Of Second Strike On Suspected Drug Boat

War Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered another strike against a suspected &#8220;narco-terrorist&#8221; boat on Thursday as he pushes back against &#8220;war crime&#8221; accusations leveled against him by Democratic lawmakers.
The strike killed four men believed to be transporting drugs to the United States in the Eastern Pacific, according to the U.S. Southern Command, which released an unclassified video of the bombing. The U.S. Southern Command said that &#8220;intelligence confirmed&#8221; the boat was carrying &#8220;illicit narcotics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On Dec. 4, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and… <a href="https://t.co/pqksvxM3HP">pic.twitter.com/pqksvxM3HP</a>
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/1996726797086457886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Since September, the Trump administration has ordered strikes against at least 23 drug boats, killing 87 suspected drug runners.
Hegseth celebrated the latest strike as Democrats in Congress <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkey/status/1994947098782175486">call</a> for him to face consequences over accusations that he ordered a second missile strike on a suspected drug boat when survivors were in the water. The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/28/hegseth-kill-them-all-survivors-boat-strike/">cited</a> anonymous sources in a report last week that claimed Hegseth gave an order to &#8220;kill them all&#8221; after two men survived the first missile strike.
As Democrats&#8217; criticism of Hegseth continued to mount on Thursday, the War secretary responded to a social media post from Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet, who wrote, &#8220;Every new attack aimed at Pete Hegseth makes me want another narco drug boat blown up and sent to the bottom of the ocean.&#8221;
&#8220;Your wish is our command, Andrew. Just sunk another narco boat,&#8221; Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/1996757617427824861">replied</a>.
The claims reported in the Washington Post story were refuted by Navy Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who told lawmakers on Thursday that Hegseth did not issue a &#8220;kill them all&#8221; after a first strike left two survivors.
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Bradley “was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all,” said Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton. Lawmakers also watched the video of the second strike, which showed &#8220;two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water,” according to Washington Democratic Congressman Adam Smith.
“The order was basically: Destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat,” Smith added.
Cotton argued that the second strike was necessary because the survivors were attempting to salvage the drugs.
“I saw two survivors trying to flip a boatload of drugs down the United States back over so they could stay in the fight, and potentially, given all the context — we heard of other narco-terrorist boats in the area coming to their aid to — recover the cargo and recover those narco-terrorists,” he told reporters after watching video of the follow-up strike.
Hegseth has also faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who said that the video of the strike showed that the survivors were &#8220;distressed, shipwrecked or incapacitated people.&#8221; Paul also <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5634197-paul-demands-hegseth-testify-boat-strikes/">called</a> on Hegseth to release the video of the strikes for Americans to watch and judge for themselves.
Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he &#8220;didn&#8217;t personally see survivors&#8221; after watching a live feed of the strike in question as it was carried out.
&#8220;The thing was on fire. It was exploded in fire and smoke. You can’t see it,&#8221; Hegseth said, adding, “This is called the fog of war.”

U.S. Southern Command

U.S. Takes Out More Suspected ‘Narco-Terrorists’ As Hegseth Defends Against ‘War Crime’ Accusations

U.S. Takes Out More Suspected 'Narco-Terrorists' As Hegseth Defends Against 'War Crime' Accusations

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