Hegseth tells congressional leaders he is weighing release of boat strike video

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing mounting pressure from both sides of Congress to release the full video footage of a controversial military attack that killed two survivors clinging to wreckage near Venezuela, according to officials at a classified briefing Tuesday.

During the Capitol Hill meeting with congressional leaders, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer directly asked Hegseth whether he would allow all members of Congress to view the complete video of the September incident. Hegseth responded that his team would “have to study it,” a reply Schumer later described as “very unsatisfying.”

“Democrats and Republicans had a right to see it, wanted to see it, and should see it,” Schumer told reporters after emerging from the secure briefing room, where he was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

The growing controversy centers on a U.S. military campaign targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels near Venezuelan waters. Legal experts have raised concerns that the second strike, which killed two people who had survived an initial attack, may have violated laws governing the use of deadly military force.

In a parallel development, Admiral Alvin Holsey, who is retiring early from command of the anti-drug vessel operation at U.S. Southern Command, held a classified video call with the Senate Armed Services Committee leadership. Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) declined to share specifics but called Holsey a “great public servant” and noted the Pentagon was evaluating whether releasing the video would compromise classified information.

Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the committee’s ranking Democrat, said Holsey answered their questions but added that “there are still many questions to be answered.” Reed noted that when asked about his early retirement, Holsey only cited personal reasons.

The Trump administration’s campaign has struck 22 boats and killed at least 87 people since September, raising significant questions about its purpose, legal justification, and operational boundaries. Unlike traditional drug interdiction efforts that focus on capturing vessels and suspects, this operation applies lethal force under what officials describe as rules similar to those used in counterterrorism operations.

Conflicting explanations for the controversial second strike have further complicated the situation. While President Donald Trump claimed this week that the two survivors were attempting to right their capsized boat, Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who ordered the second strike, reportedly told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that he targeted the survivors to prevent cartel members from later recovering cocaine from the vessel.

“They are using expensive, exquisite American military capabilities to kill people who are the equivalent of corner dealers,” said Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), highlighting growing concerns about the proportionality of the response.

Congressional scrutiny has intensified as lawmakers learned the destroyed boat was actually heading south at the time of the attack and that military intelligence indicated it was headed toward a vessel bound for Suriname, not directly to the United States.

The Republican-controlled Congress has included provisions in the annual defense authorization bill demanding that the Pentagon provide unedited video of the strikes and the orders authorizing the attacks. The legislation threatens to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if he fails to comply.

“We need an all-member briefing for the House of Representatives,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told The Associated Press, echoing bipartisan calls for transparency.

Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called it “a little strange” that officials now claim the full video is classified when the administration has regularly posted footage of strikes on social media.

Meanwhile, tensions with Venezuela continue to escalate. The U.S. military flew fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday in what appears to be the closest American warplanes have approached Venezuelan airspace since Trump began his pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. has also deployed naval assets to the region, including its largest aircraft carrier.

A bipartisan group of senators is preparing to force a vote on legislation that would halt Trump’s ability to use military force against Venezuela without congressional approval. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of the sponsors, said there is renewed interest from Republican lawmakers previously opposed to such restrictions.

“These follow-on strikes of people who are wounded in the ocean is really against our code of military justice,” Paul said. “They are illegal.”