Hegseth warns: US military combats cartels off the coast of Venezuela

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth commented in an interview with Fox News on a recent attack on a ship linked to Venezuelan drug cartels.

For several months, the Pentagon has been intensively expanding its operations against drug cartels, which Washington says are destabilizing the region and threatening the security of the United States.

Hegseth confirmed that the video of the attack was not created with the help of artificial intelligence, thereby rejecting speculation about possible manipulation of the footage.

He also stated that US troops were gathering in the region—an indication of further actions of a similar nature in the near future.

However, he did not disclose details about how exactly the attack was carried out.

He emphasized that the US's goal was not just a single strike, but long-term and systematic pressure on criminal groups and on the regime of Nicolás Maduro, which Washington says enables or supports drug smuggling.

Hegseth said Maduro would have to make serious decisions in the face of this pressure.

(reuters, sie)