By Caitlin Yilek
Updated on: December 8, 2025 / 10:09 PM EST / CBS News
Washington — A provision in the compromise version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act would withhold part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon hands over unedited video of strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela.
The nearly $901 billion defense bill, unveiled Sunday and expected to pass both chambers with bipartisan support, would hold back a quarter of Hegseth’s office travel funds until the House and Senate Armed Services committees receive “unedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the United States Southern Command.” It also requires the Pentagon to deliver overdue reports, including lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, before those funds are released.
Politico first reported the provision, which appears more than 800 pages into the 3,086-page measure.
The push for the video comes after reports that two survivors of an initial Sept. 2 boat strike in the Caribbean Sea were killed in a follow-up attack. Two sources familiar with the footage said the survivors were waving before they were killed. Military leaders briefed a small group of lawmakers last week as the legality of the operation faces scrutiny; some critics say the killing of survivors could amount to a war crime.
A limited portion of the Sept. 2 operation was previously shared publicly in a 29-second clip posted to social media by President Trump. The military has carried out more than 20 strikes on alleged drug boats since early September, killing at least 87 people. The Trump administration contends the strikes are legally justified.
On Tuesday afternoon, Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to brief congressional leaders and the top intelligence committee members in both chambers, according to sources familiar with the planning.
President Trump on Wednesday said he would support releasing footage — “whatever they have we’ll certainly release, no problem” — but on Monday he softened that stance, saying he was comfortable with “whatever Hegseth wants to do.” Hegseth indicated Saturday that the video might not be released, citing ongoing operations in the region.
Alan He and Patrick Maguire contributed to this report.
