US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Calls for Execution of Remaining Guantanamo Detainees

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the 15 men still held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp should have been executed for their crimes against the American people. He made the remark after touring the base in Cuba and speaking to reporters in Tampa, Florida. According to Pentagon data from early 2025, only two of the remaining detainees have been convicted by military courts, while proceedings are ongoing against seven others.

The Guantanamo facility, established after the September 11, 2001 attacks, has long been criticized for indefinite detention and allegations of torture. Human‑rights groups continue to condemn the continued incarceration of the remaining prisoners and the use of military commissions. Hegseth’s statement adds a new, controversial dimension to the ongoing debate over the future of the base and the fate of its last inmates.