Hegseth says he won’t publicly release video of boat strike that killed survivors in the Caribbean

Pentagon Withholds Controversial Caribbean Strike Footage Amid Congressional Scrutiny

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the Pentagon will not publicly release unedited video of a U.S. military strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean. His statement came as congressional questions intensified about the incident and the broader American military buildup near Venezuela.

Speaking to reporters after a closed-door Senate briefing, Hegseth confirmed that members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees would have an opportunity to review the video this week, but was noncommittal about whether all members of Congress would be granted access.

“Of course we’re not going to release a top secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public,” Hegseth stated as he left the briefing session.

The controversial September 2 strike is part of a wider military campaign that has resulted in at least 95 fatalities across 25 known strikes on vessels in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Trump administration officials defended the operations during Capitol Hill appearances, characterizing them as successful counter-drug efforts that have prevented narcotics from reaching American shores.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the mission’s focus, telling reporters it aims at “dismantling the infrastructure of these terrorist organizations that are operating in our hemisphere, undermining the security of Americans, killing Americans, poisoning Americans.”

The scrutiny comes amid an expanding U.S. military presence in the region. Just before Tuesday’s briefings, the U.S. military reported attacking three more boats suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in eight additional deaths.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Hegseth for coming “empty handed” to the briefing without a commitment to more broadly release the footage. “If they can’t be transparent on this, how can you trust their transparency on all the other issues swirling about in the Caribbean?” the New York Democrat questioned.

Senators from both parties expressed frustration that officials provided little clarity regarding President Trump’s intentions concerning Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro or potential direct U.S. military involvement in the South American nation.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, while defending the campaign’s legality, stated bluntly: “I want to address the question, is it the goal to take him out? If it’s not the goal to take him out, you’re making a mistake.”

The U.S. has significantly ramped up pressure on Venezuela, deploying warships, flying fighter jets near Venezuelan airspace, and seizing an oil tanker. Maduro has consistently maintained that these operations are designed to force his removal from power. During a recent state television appearance, he criticized the United Nations for not condemning what he termed an “act of piracy” against “a private ship carrying Venezuelan oil.”

The Trump administration has proceeded without seeking congressional authorization for potential action against Venezuela. This unilateral approach has raised concerns among experts, particularly regarding the September 2 strike that killed two people who had climbed atop wreckage from an initial attack.

“If it’s not a war against Venezuela, then we’re using armed force against civilians who are just committing crimes,” said John Yoo, a Berkeley Law professor who helped craft legal justifications for the Bush administration after 9/11. “Then this question, this worry, becomes really pronounced. You know, you’re shooting civilians. There’s no military purpose for it.”

Congressional frustration has grown due to limited information about the operations. Representatives have often learned about strikes through social media after the Pentagon posted videos of boats exploding. This information gap led to language in an annual military policy bill threatening to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if the Pentagon fails to provide unedited strike videos to congressional armed services committees.

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, an outspoken critic of the campaign, argued for transparency: “The American public ought to see it. I think shooting unarmed people floundering in the water, clinging to wreckage, is not who we are as a people.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren claimed the administration’s refusal to release complete footage stems from concerns beyond operational security. “They just don’t want to reveal the part that suggests war crimes,” the Massachusetts Democrat asserted.

Despite these concerns, many Republicans emerged from the briefings supporting the campaign. House Speaker Mike Johnson characterized the strikes as “certainly appropriate” and “necessary to protect the United States and our interests.”

Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who ordered the September 2 second strike, is scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill Wednesday for classified briefings with congressional committees.