Pete Hegseth has invoked the “fog of war” as the US defence secretary defended the legality of a deadly double strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea.
Hegseth’s comments on Tuesday came as Donald Trump and his administration have closed ranks in support of the Pentagon chief in the face of a growing backlash in Congress about his handling of US strikes in international waters surrounding Latin America — and fears they could constitute a war crime.
The furore over Hegseth has flared up at a particularly sensitive time for Trump as he weighs more US military action in the region, including against targets on Venezuelan soil, and whether to unseat President Nicolás Maduro.