President Donald Trump told U.S. troops this week that his crackdown on drug cartels has been so effective that “we can’t find a ship” carrying narcotics anymore. Speaking aboard the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, he credited his team for what he called the most successful counter-narcotics campaign in modern history.

“He’s so happy now,” Trump said, gesturing toward former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “Those drug ships aren’t coming in anymore. We can’t find a ship. There’s no ships coming in with drugs. It’s like he’s been incredible. So thank you very much, Pete. You gave up a lot. We appreciate it. Thank you.”

Hegseth, who now serves as Secretary of War, was standing beside Trump during the remarks. The president explained that the title change reflected a shift away from political correctness in the military.

“When it comes to defending the United States, we’re no longer politically correct,” Trump told the sailors. “We’re going to defend our country any way we have to. And that’s usually not the politically correct way.”

The crowd reportedly erupted in applause as Trump continued praising the Navy’s recent success in stopping cartel operations in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Under Trump’s direction, the U.S. military began targeting narco-terrorist vessels in September, using precision strikes to sink cartel boats at sea. Just this week, American forces launched their largest operation yet, destroying four vessels off the Pacific coast of Colombia.

Pete Hegseth briefed reporters afterward on the scope of the mission.

“A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor,” Hegseth said. “All strikes were in international waters with no U.S. forces harmed.”

He added that the new operations mark a turning point for U.S. defense strategy.

“The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own,” Hegseth said. “These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them.”

The numbers back him up. Since September, U.S. forces have destroyed at least 14 drug boats, killing 57 cartel-linked operatives in total. Intelligence officials say the coordinated strikes have disrupted major smuggling routes used by transnational gangs for decades.

For Trump, the results are proof his aggressive strategy is paying off. His administration has framed the operation as part of a broader war on the fentanyl crisis that has devastated American communities.

But not everyone in Washington is cheering. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland accused Trump of authorizing “illegal” operations and “extrajudicial killings.”

“Even if there’s evidence, you would think that if you were serious about cracking down on these things you’d arrest these people, you’d go upstream, you’d go after the kingpins,” Van Hollen said.

Critics didn’t explain how such arrests could happen without major invasions into cartel-controlled areas across multiple countries.

Trump brushed off the criticism, joking with troops that the reason they can’t find any drug ships anymore is because “they’re all at the bottom of the ocean.”

The moment drew laughter and cheers across the deck of the carrier — a stark contrast to the grim tone of the fight itself.

For the president, it was both a moment of pride and a warning. The message was clear: the days of hesitation are over, and America is taking the fight directly to the traffickers who profit off American deaths.