Lawmakers Alarmed After Viewing Classified Video of Caribbean Boat Strike

A newly revealed video of a second U.S. military strike on a suspected drug-running vessel in the Caribbean has triggered deep concern among both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Representative Jim Himes, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the unedited footage as “one of the most troubling scenes” he has witnessed in his entire public career.

Himes viewed the video during a closed briefing with Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, the officer who allegedly ordered the follow-up strike in September—an action that killed the two surviving crew members from the initial attack. Bradley later delivered a similar classified briefing to senators.

Meanwhile, Senator Tom Cotton, the Republican head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, claimed Bradley firmly denied receiving any directive to “kill them all.” According to Cotton, Bradley maintained that he operated only under clearly documented orders.

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Why This Matters

The Pentagon’s forthcoming disclosures arrive at a pivotal moment in Congress’s expanding investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s oversight of the operation, which occurred in international waters near Venezuela. Key legal questions have emerged: Did the mission violate U.S. or international law? And were survivors deliberately targeted?

Pressure intensified after The Washington Post reported that Bradley ordered a second attack to satisfy Hegseth’s alleged directive to “kill everybody.” Legal experts argue the strike could constitute a crime if it intentionally targeted survivors who no longer posed a threat.

Both Republicans and Democrats are now pressing the Pentagon for answers.

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What Lawmakers Want to Know

Members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees—along with leaders of the intelligence committees—are demanding detailed documentation, including:

• The exact orders Hegseth issued.
• The reasoning behind the second strike.
• The intelligence used to classify the boat as a legitimate target.
• Rules of engagement guiding the mission.
• Criteria for determining combatants vs. civilians.
• Full, unedited video recordings from both strikes.

While Democrats have publicly insisted on full transparency, Republicans—who currently lead the key national security panels—have committed to a “thorough review” though have not yet demanded public release of the documents.

President Donald Trump continues to defend Hegseth, even as scrutiny builds.

Hegseth, for his part, has said the aftermath of the initial strike was obscured by the “fog of war.” He also stated he was not present for the second strike but insisted Bradley had “complete authority” and made the “right call.”

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Key Unknowns

According to individuals familiar with the mission, military officials were aware that survivors remained in the water after the first strike. The rationale given for the second attack was the need to sink the vessel entirely.

However, it remains unclear:

• Who specifically ordered the follow-on strike.
• Whether Hegseth directed or encouraged the action.

These unanswered questions are expected to be at the center of Bradley’s classified congressional briefings.

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Additional Complications for the Defense Secretary

Adding to the turbulence, the Defense Department inspector general was preparing to release a partially redacted report about Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to coordinate a March strike against Yemen’s Houthi militants.

According to individuals who reviewed the findings, Hegseth’s actions “put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk.” The Pentagon, however, has framed the report as largely clearing him.

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What Lawmakers Are Saying

• Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
  “The investigation is going to be done by the numbers. We’ll find out the ground truth.”
• Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
  “He may not have been in the room, but he was in the loop. His order foreseeably resulted in the deaths of these survivors.”
• Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
  Reed said he was “deeply disturbed” by the footage Congress viewed Thursday.
  “The Department of Defense must release the full, unedited footage of the September 2 strike. This briefing confirmed my worst fears about the Trump administration’s military activities and why this committee has repeatedly demanded essential documents—and been denied. This is only the beginning of our investigation.”

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