The Trump administration is stepping up its defense of the homeland while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers a chilling warning to narco-terrorists: attempts to harm Americans will no longer be "tolerated.""President Trump's locking the border down now we go on offense to make sure these cartels can't be funded, that they can't sustain what they're doing," Hegeth told Fox News' Rachel Campos-Duffy.In his first interview as secretary of War, Hegseth detailed the Pentagon's precision efforts to secure the western hemisphere, stressing his mission as defense chief to protect the homeland, the American people and U.S. national interests.HEGSETH ISSUES STARK WARNING TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS FOLLOWING US MILITARY STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN VESSELStopping the "poisoning" of American citizens, he said, is crucial to fulfilling that mission."It doesn't mean we're fighting every cartel everywhere, endlessly we're not trading one endless fight for another endless fight," he said."It's the precise application of American power to send very clear signals that narco-terrorism will not be tolerated in our hemisphere, and we're not doing it [handling drug traffickers] with kid gloves anymore."The War secretary's remarks come after U.S. officials touted a lethal strike against a Venezuelan drug boat that killed 11 alleged Tren de Aragua members earlier this month, though Venezuelan officials have disputed footage of the event.RUBIO SAYS TRUMP 'WANTS TO WAGE WAR' ON VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: 'BLOW THEM UP IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES'The Coast Guard also sank a suspected drug boat over the weekend and apprehended seven alleged drug smugglers, according to video released by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.Campos-Duffy previewed her "Fox Noticias" interview with Hegseth Wednesday on "Fox & Friends," offering a glimpse into her visit to Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., before heading to Puerto Rico to join Hegseth on the amphibious assault vessel USS Iwo Jima.During that interview, she also asked Hegseth about the recent Department of War rebrand and why he views the change as necessary."Words matter, titles matter," he said."The War Department was founded by George Washington in 1789. We have a long history of a War Department with this country. We won World War I and World War II with a War Department. We want a warrior ethos."Fittingly, the motto of my first platoon that I ever led was, Those who long for peace must prepare for war. It's because we want peace, it's because we seek peace, it's because the American people deserve peace."Watch more of Campos-Duffy's interview with Secretary Hegseth on "Fox Noticias."Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report.