US defense secretary tells sailors off Puerto Rico: this isn't training


FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, speak during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Idrees Ali/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told sailors and Marines on a warship off Puerto Rico on Monday that they were not deployed to the Caribbean for training but instead sent to the "front lines" of a critical counter-narcotics mission.

Hegseth's remarks came during a surprise visit along with the top U.S. general to Puerto Rico amid escalating tensions with Venezuela, which U.S. President Donald Trump's administration accuses of trafficking narcotics to the United States - allegations denied by Caracas.

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