President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan defended the administration’s military approach to address drug trafficking on Monday, days after the U.S. military deployed several warships and fighter planes to the Caribbean in a warning to drug cartels.
“I support it. There’s a reason the president designated terrorist organizations,” Homan told NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer on Monday. “These cartels have killed more Americans than every terrorist organization in the world combined.”
He added, “They’ve killed more Americans than any war. So, yeah, we’re at war in the cartel.”
The U.S. military raised the stakes against cartels in the southern Caribbean last week by striking a “drug vessel.” The “kinetic” attack killed the 11 people on board, which the administration claimed were terrorists from the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua organization.
“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social last week.
“TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” he added.
In response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called it “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat,” and declared “maximum preparedness” to protect his citizens.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine made a surprise trip to Puerto Rico on Monday, where 10 fighter jets were deployed last week amid the tensions.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also took a swing at Vice President Vance on Saturday over comments Vance made about the strike.
“Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” Vance wrote in a Saturday morning post on the social platform X.
Paul snapped back later Saturday, writing, “JD ‘I don’t give a s‑‑‑’ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military.’”
“Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation??” the senator added.
The U.S. strike has also fueled questions over a potential violation of maritime law or human rights conventions.