‘We’ve Only Just Begun to Kill Narco-Terrorists’ — Proclaims Cartel War Entered New Phase

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the United States has “just started killing narco-terrorists,” a direct call for an escalation of direct action against cartel members. Hegseth reinforced that message in a separate message, promising that the campaign against transnational drug cartels had entered a new phase. Taken together, these remarks highlight a growing push within the national security establishment to treat cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and counter them with military force.

In a social media post on Friday, Secretary Hegseth stated bluntly and boldly: “We have just started killing narco-terrorists.”

Two minutes later, the secretary of state doubled down on his position with a scathing post that the “fake news” media was providing “more fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to defend the homeland.”

Hegseth repeated the Trump administration's consistent message about narco-terrorists and foreign terrorist organizations, writing: “As we have said from the beginning and in every statement, these high-impact strikes are specifically designed to be 'lethal, kinetic strikes.' The stated intent is to stop the use of deadly drugs, destroy drug ships, and destroy the narco-terrorists poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a designated terrorist organization.”

He stressed that the order to strike against narco-terrorists is “a legal order under both American and international law.” He explained that “all actions comply with the law of armed conflict.”

“The Biden administration has taken a hand-me-down approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and untested Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence,” Secretary Hegseth said. “The Trump administration closed the border and launched an offensive against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled the terrorists; we kill them.”