Lawmakers are urging the government to make public a classified video of a second U.S. strike last September that killed people who survived an earlier attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean. The footage was shown in a closed-door briefing to some members of Congress.
Representative Jim Himes, who watched the video, told reporters the public needs to see it. He said seeing the footage helps people understand “what it looks like when the full force of the United States military is turned on two guys who are clinging to a piece of wood and about to go under.”
Republican Senator Tom Cotton said he would not oppose releasing the video but defended the strikes, arguing they were taken because the boat presented an ongoing threat. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth likewise defended the administration’s campaign against so-called “narco terrorists,” saying the second strike was justified because the vessel served as a link-up point for another boat and drugs were still aboard.
Critics pointed to President Trump’s comment, “I don’t know what they have, but whatever they have we’d certainly release, no problem,” while legal observers stressed the law of armed conflict: forces who continue to engage in hostilities or remain armed and dangerous can be lawful targets, but attacking people who are clearly outside combat could violate the laws of war.
The episode has intensified scrutiny of administration strikes after reports that more than 80 people were killed. Officials say reviews are underway and the debate over whether to release the classified video continues.
Reporters: Willie James Inman and Jericka Duncan.