Pete Hegseth on Releasing 'Double-Tap' Strike Video and Counter-Drug Operations

Review of 'Double-Tap' Strike Video Release

• 📌 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the release of the full "double-tap" strike video is currently under review.
• ⚠️ The review is being conducted to ensure the protection of sources, methods, and ongoing operations, as operators are currently in the field.
• 🎯 Hegseth emphasized the need for responsible release of any information pertaining to ongoing operations.

Addressing Misinformation on Decision-Making

• 🚫 Hegseth vehemently denied claims that he ordered "everybody on board should be killed," calling such reports "patently ridiculous".
• 🧠 He explained that military decisions involve a defined process with specific criteria, including legal and intelligence analyst reviews, before a "cleared, hot" or "not" command is given.
• 🗣️ He suggested that such false narratives are intended to create a "cartoon" of his decision-making process.

Protocol for Survivors and Counter-Drug Operations

• 🚢 There was a protocol for dealing with survivors, as demonstrated when two individuals had to be retrieved after a second strike on a semi-submersible submarine.
• 🤝 These survivors were returned to their host countries, adhering to established protocols.
• ⚓ The operations aim to stop the poisoning of the American people by drug traffickers, with the strategy of sinking drug-laden vessels in the Caribbean to deter future operations.
• 📈 This approach is intended to force adversaries to change their operating methods and make the American people safer.