Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer publicly expressed anger on Monday, saying he plans to directly confront Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth over recent U.S. military operations targeting narco-terrorist threats in the Caribbean.
Schumer said he intends to “storm” into Hegseth’s office and demand answers about the strikes, which were carried out under the Trump administration’s expanded counter-narco directives aimed at stopping violent cartels that have been linked to attacks on Americans.
“I plan to confront Secretary Hegseth on exactly what the hell is going on in the Caribbean,” Schumer said, adding that he wants the full, unedited video of the September 2 boat strikes released to the public.
The operation in question involved U.S. forces neutralizing armed narco-traffickers who intelligence officials say were preparing attacks against American personnel and assets. Trump administration officials have defended the actions as necessary, lawful, and part of a broader effort to dismantle international networks involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, and violence against U.S. citizens.
Hegseth has not yet publicly responded to Schumer’s remarks, but senior national security officials say the mission was coordinated, reviewed, and cleared under long-standing counter-narco authorities.
The clash underscores a growing divide in Washington over President Trump’s aggressive stance against cartel-linked terror networks, a strategy his supporters argue is essential to protecting American lives.
