By Olivia Gazis
Updated on: December 5, 2025 / 10:15 PM EST / CBS News
Two people who survived an early Sept. 2 U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean were seen waving at aircraft before they were killed in a second, follow-up strike, two sources familiar with a video shown to lawmakers told CBS News. One source said the gestures could be interpreted either as calls for help or as attempts to signal aircraft not to fire.
The New York Times first reported the additional detail. The Sept. 2 operation was the first of more than 20 strikes on alleged drug-carrying vessels carried out by the Trump administration in recent months. Officials argue the campaign is needed to stem narcotics trafficking; critics say many of the attacks are legally unjustified. The military has said more than 80 people have been killed in the strikes, including 11 on Sept. 2.
The operation has faced renewed scrutiny after reports that the U.S. military conducted a follow-up strike that killed two people who had survived the initial attack. Some Democrats and legal experts contend striking shipwrecked survivors could amount to a war crime. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed a second strike occurred, saying it was lawful and intended to “ensure the boat was destroyed.”
Members of Congress viewed a video of the strikes, including the strike that killed the two survivors, during a closed-door briefing with the operation’s commander, Adm. Mitch Bradley, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. Lawmakers offered sharply different readings of the footage afterward. Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut said the survivors appeared to be “in clear distress without any means of locomotion,” calling the images among the most troubling he has seen in public service. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said the survivors seemed to be trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs so they could continue the mission, and defended the Sept. 2 strikes as lawful and necessary.
Multiple lawmakers said Adm. Bradley testified there was no order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to kill everyone onboard. President Trump said he would support releasing a video of the strikes to the public and, when asked if he would support killing survivors, replied: “No, I support the decision to knock out the boats.”
Jaala Brown and Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.
