'Peace through strength': Hegseth says some Caribbean cartels halted operations after dozens of strikes on drug boats

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday that several drug cartels in the Caribbean region have indefinitely ceased operations, following a series of lethal attacks carried out by U.S. forces in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific.

According to official figures, the U.S. offensive has so far resulted in 36 attacks, 126 deaths, and 2 people rescued in the area of operations of the U.S. Southern Command.

In a post on X, Hegseth announced, "WINNING: Some top cartel drug-traffickers in the @SOUTHCOM AOR have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean. This is deterrence through strength. @POTUS is SAVING American lives."

Hegseth's announcement comes a month after the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a U.S. military operation in Caracas. Both Maduro and Flores were transferred to New York to face charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and arms possession.

This capture followed months of counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, which included a naval blockade and the closure of Venezuelan airspace. The operation, dubbed "Absolute Resolve," also destroyed key Venezuelan military infrastructure.

President Donald Trump declared that the United States will "run" Venezuela until a safe and proper transition of power can take place.

While these actions have drawn international criticism, with questions raised about their legality under international law, in the US, the operations against drug trafficking vessels and also against Maduro have had a positive impact on public opinion and in opinion polls. Some experts, especially senior officials in the Trump administration, defend these actions as legitimate self-defense against U.S. enemies.

Hegseth himself said the U.S. operations were legitimate, stating that "narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: If you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs – we will kill you." Deterrence, at least for now, seems to be working.