Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., staunchly defended the Trump administration’s increased military strikes against suspected narco-trafficking vessels during his Wednesday appearance on “Wake Up America,” expressing unreserved backing for these operations and dismissing critics as politically motivated.
Sitting on both the Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees, Gimenez declared he has “zero problem” with targeting narcotics boats operating near Venezuela. He labeled the drug cartels “narco-terrorists,” emphasizing their lethal threat to U.S. citizens and asserting that such strikes are essential for protecting national security.
“I support them 150%,” Gimenez stated emphatically. “That boatload has more potential to kill more Americans than a boatload full of explosives.”
The congressman framed the ongoing drug smuggling operations as an all-out war, claiming that recent years have witnessed over half a million overdose deaths in America—a crisis long ignored by Washington.
Gimenez also took aim at Democrats’ objections to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s actions following recent strikes. He condemned criticism suggesting a second attack on suspected drug vessels constituted a war crime, arguing it reflected partisan hypocrisy rather than genuine concern for national security.
“This is acceptable if it was President Obama or any other administration official,” Gimenez insisted. “But now they’re calling this a war crime?”
He contrasted the current administration’s actions with past drone operations under President Obama that killed U.S. citizens abroad, noting these were not met with widespread outrage at the time. By Gimenez’s account, Hegseth was simply fulfilling his duty to neutralize a deadly threat.
Gimenez stressed that battlefield commanders should be given trust and authority to complete dangerous missions against armed traffickers, even in unstable regions like Venezuela’s coastlines.
“I’m not going to second-guess an admiral destroying a boat full of narco-terrorists,” he concluded. “The number one job of government is to protect its people.”
