Washington, Dec. 7 -- US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Saturday defended recent military strikes on boats linked to alleged drug cartels, saying President Donald Trump has the authority to take action "as he sees fit" to safeguard the nation.

Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Hegseth rejected criticism of the strikes, which have reportedly resulted in more than 80 deaths and raised questions over potential breaches of international law.

He argued the operations were justified to protect American citizens and likened the effort to the response following the September 11, 2001, attacks.

"If you're working for a designated terrorist organisation and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we wi...