Pete Hegseth says he didn't see survivors in the September boat strike because of 'the fog of war'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pointed to what he called “the fog of war” in defending a follow-up military strike on an alleged drug boat in September that reportedly killed survivors of the initial attack."I didn't personally see survivors," Hegseth told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pointed to what he called “the fog of war” in defending a follow-up military strike on an alleged drug boat in September that reportedly killed survivors of the initial attack.

"I didn't personally see survivors," Hegseth told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday. "The thing was on fire. It was exploded in fire and smoke. You can’t see it."

He added, “This is called the fog of war.”

Hegseth says he did not see survivors of boat strike due to 'fog of war'01:41In September, U.S. forces conducted a strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea suspected of smuggling drugs, then ordered a second strike after the first failed to kill all of the vessel’s occupants, one U.S. official and a source familiar with the Pentagon’s actions that day told NBC News.

The boat was carrying a total of 11 individuals, the Pentagon said at the time of the strike. Since then, the U.S. has conducted more than 20 strikes on purported drug vessels it says are carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing more than 80 people.