Pete Hegseth motivates troops from Puerto Rico as U.S. escalates its war against cartels in the Caribbean Sea: "What you're doing right now, it's not training"

As the Trump administration prepares to deploy F-35 fighter jets in its campaign against narcoterrorism in the Western Hemisphere, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made an unexpected visit to Puerto Rico alongside Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From Muñiz Air National Guard Base—a strategic hub for mobilizing U.S. troops globally—Hegseth met with senior officials and addressed deployed U.S. soldiers directly. He emphasized that they were not engaged in a simple “training” exercise but rather on a “mission” against drug cartels in the region.

"The reason I like the name War Department so much is not because I love war. I don't and neither do you. It's because I seek and love peace, and those who love and long for peace must prepare for war. We are in the strength department of peace through strength," the Secretary of War told the troops.

Then, from the USS Iwo Jima, one of the assault ships the United States deployed in the Caribbean to fight drug cartels, Hegseth was even clearer: "I think this might be the single most beautiful picture I have ever seen in my entire life. Looking out at these faces, looking out at this Caribbean on a floating island of American power, on the front lines of defending the American homeland. Make no mistake about it, what you're doing right now it's not training. This is the real-world exercise on behalf of the vital national interests of the United States of America to end the poisoning of the American people."

Hegseth announced, "To the sailors and marines of the Iwo Jima, Godspeed, it's honored to be aboard with you today. You are an incredible representation of America and American power. You're trained, you're prepared, you're ready, and you're lethal. And the American people are counting on you to ensure the American homeland is kept safe. So I charge you, it's not if, it's when. You're on mission. Narcoterrorists and drug traffickers are on notice. You will no longer allow the poisoning of the American people. And the full power of the American military used precisely with a clear mission, will be used to ensure the American people are kept safe." 

Hegseth's stern words, relayed by official Pentagon accounts, come days after the Defense Department shot down a speedboat from Venezuela that President Donald Trump himself said was carrying drugs into the United States. According to Trump and official White House spokesmen, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, eleven crew members were killed during the operation, all of them belonging to the criminal group 'Tren de Aragua' (TdA), designated by the US as a terrorist organization.

The TdA, linked to the authoritarian regime of Nicolas Maduro, is directly linked to the upper echelons of power in Venezuela, especially to the 'Cartel of the Suns,' another Venezuelan narco-terrorist organization led by Maduro himself, top Chavista leader Diosdado Cabello, and various Venezuelan generals. Both groups are accused of flooding the U.S. with cocaine and other narcotics, according to U.S. security agencies.

Maduro and Cabello are charged with drug trafficking in the U.S. and have respective rewards of $50,000,000 and $25,000,000 for information leading to their capture.

Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez confirmed that Hegseth's visit came as part of the White House's anti-drug campaign and directly mentioned dictator Maduro during a press conference.

"The government of Puerto Rico is committed to this fight against drug trafficking. We are going to continue to see these maneuvers; we are going to see the presence of many of these teams in Puerto Rico," Gonzalez said, before warning that these deployments are part of "a direct message to the cartel leader in Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, that the United States is not going to pass him one more."

When the press asked Gonzalez how many troops were expected in Puerto Rico and for how long, the governor said there is still no clarity on the matter because the operation was just beginning.

"They are still arriving; there is no definite number," the governor said regarding the Marines deployed. "This has just begun, the repositioning on the island of military force to attack drug trafficking throughout the Caribbean jurisdiction. Puerto Rico is the U.S. frontier in the Caribbean because of its proximity to Venezuela and Colombia."

U.S. authorities have also warned that lethal operations against the cartels will continue and that countries in the region should be prepared for it.