Hegseth blasts 'narco-terrorists' targeted by Trump admin as 'the al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere'

As the U.S. continues conducting deadly strikes against vessels it claims are involved in drug trafficking, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth again described the "narco-terrorists" the U.S. has been targeting as "the al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere."

Hegseth's comments, which he made in Malaysia, repeated the point he has previously made as the Trump administration stands staunchly behind its controversial policy.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks as President Donald Trump delivers an announcement on his Homeland Security Task Force in the State Dining Room of the White House on Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. ( Alex Wong/Getty Images)

"These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people. The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda," Hegseth asserted in an Oct. 19 post on X when discussing one of the strikes.

Dozens have been killed over the course of the Trump administration's many strikes.

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President Donald Trump and Hegseth both likened the cartels to ISIS during comments last week.

"It should now be clear to the entire world that the cartels are the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere," the commander in chief said on October 23.

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Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense, left, and President Donald Trump during an announcement on the Homeland Security Task Force in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Hegseth underscored the point. 

"Well as the president said, this is the ISIS, this is the al Qaeda, of the Western Hemisphere," he noted.