Overview
- Lawmakers viewed classified video of the Sept. 2 operation and were told there was no order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to leave no survivors, according to members present.
- Adm. Frank Bradley testified the survivors were legitimate targets because the boat still held narcotics and the pair appeared to try to continue the drug run with nearby vessels in the area.
- Reactions split along party lines, with Democrats calling the images disturbing and Republicans asserting the four strikes that day were lawful and necessary.
- House and Senate committees are pursuing investigations seeking full unedited video, message logs, and legal opinions, and senators introduced a war powers measure to bar hostilities in or against Venezuela.
- President Trump said he supports releasing the footage, as the broader campaign has passed 20 strikes with more than 80 killed, and Colombia formally rejected his suggestion that military action there could be possible.