00:00All right, guys, you ready for a quick good trip?
00:04Were you at Southcom today?
00:06Not today. I was there Friday.
00:08I had the Polish government, foreign ministry, did the Lecholasa award today to a Cuban dissident.
00:17So obviously she's not here. So I attended that this morning.
00:20Any additional details to share about the Venezuela strike now?
00:25Well, the president made the announcement and said it was a lethal strike.
00:28I think the Pentagon will have more details and other things to offer you here in the next few hours.
00:34What kind of vessel it was?
00:36The drug vessel was carrying drugs.
00:38Size?
00:40I'll refer you to the Pentagon. They'll give you more details on that in the next.
00:43I anticipate shortly, probably while we're in the air.
00:46How many deaths with the lethal force?
00:49Again, look, I'm trying to be evasive. I'll let the Pentagon answer that.
00:52Suffice it to say that the president is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States.
00:57It destabilizes not just the country, but the entire Caribbean basin.
01:01These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean,
01:05at which point they just contribute to the instability these countries are facing.
01:09So the president's been very clear that he's going to use the full power of America,
01:15the full might of the United States, to take on and eradicate these drug cartels,
01:18no matter where they're operating from and no matter how long they've been able to act with impunity.
01:24Those days are over.
01:25The vessels are still in the region. Do you plan those operations?
01:28Do you expect those operations to continue?
01:30I think as long as those vessels are in the region and as long as the president's in the White House,
01:34he's made very clear he's not going to allow the United States to continue to be flooded with cocaine and fentanyl
01:38and other drugs coming from different places, this one from Venezuela, which is a common route.
01:44By the way, some of it ends up in Europe.
01:45A lot of it ends up in Puerto Rico and then on into the United States, mainland.
01:50So no one should be surprised.
01:52That's why they're there on a counter-drug mission, and they're going to continue to operate.
01:56As far as specifics and future operations, I have to refer you to the Pentagon on that.
02:00This is a DOD operation.
02:01You said that it was operated by a cartel. Can you share which cartel was operating?
02:07Again, I'll let the operators discuss all of that, but I thought it was, you know, the presence was very clear,
02:12and that is we destroyed a drug boat that left Venezuela, operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,
02:19which is what these are, and he's been clear that the days of acting with impunity
02:24and having an engine shot down or a couple drugs grabbed off a boat, those days are over.
02:30For now, we are going to wage combat against drug cartels that are flooding American streets and killing Americans.
02:37Will you take out the Maduro regime?
02:39What is the legal authority for this strike?
02:41The legal authority?
02:42Yeah.
02:43Well, look, again, I'm not going to answer for the White House counsel.
02:45Suffice it to say that all of those steps were taken in advance.
02:48The president has designated these as terrorist organizations, which is what they are.
02:52When you flood American streets with drugs, you are terrorizing America, and that's going to end.
02:57Will you act on Venezuelan soil against the Maduro regime?
03:00Well, this is a counter-drug operation, and we're going to take on drug cartels wherever they are
03:04and wherever they're operating against the interests of the United States.
03:06The president's top obligation is to secure the national interest and the national security of our people.
03:11I know of no president that means that more than this one, our president now, President Trump.
03:16And so, you know, but I'm not going to speculate about what might come down the road.
03:19Let's get in the air, guys.
03:20Thank you, guys.
03:21Thank you, Secretary.
03:22Thank you, Secretary.
03:22Thank you, Secretary.
03:23Thank you, Secretary.
03:24Thank you, Secretary.
03:24Thank you, Secretary.
03:24Thank you, Secretary.
03:25Thank you, Secretary.
03:25Thank you, Secretary.
03:25Thank you, Secretary.
03:26Thank you, Secretary.
03:26Thank you, Secretary.
03:27Thank you, Secretary.
03:28Thank you, Secretary.
03:28Thank you, Secretary.
03:29Thank you, Secretary.
03:30Thank you, Secretary.
03:31Thank you, Secretary.
03:32Thank you, Secretary.
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03:34Thank you, Secretary.
03:35Thank you, Secretary.
03:36Thank you, Secretary.
03:37Thank you, Secretary.
03:38Thank you, Secretary.
03:39Thank you, Secretary.
03:40Thank you, Secretary.
03:41Thank you, Secretary.
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