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Only some US lawmakers to see full video of controversial boat strike, Hegseth says

December 16, 2025

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that congressional armed services committees will receive access to the complete, unredited footage of a controversial September boat strike in the Caribbean, though it will not be released to the public. The briefing comes amid bipartisan concerns about strikes that have killed at least 90 people, particularly after reports emerged that survivors from the initial September 2nd attack were killed in a subsequent strike while still clinging to their burning vessel. The Trump administration characterizes these operations as a counter-narcotics mission against drug traffickers bringing fentanyl into the United States, though Democrats are questioning the legality under Geneva Convention rules that prohibit targeting wounded combatants.

Who is affected

  • At least 90 people killed in US military strikes (including eight killed in the latest strikes on three boats in the Pacific Ocean)
  • Two survivors from the September 2nd strike who were killed in a second strike while clinging to their burning boat
  • US lawmakers from both parties seeking answers and transparency
  • Venezuelan government and President Nicolás Maduro
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
  • Admiral Frank Bradley (mission commander)
  • Senate and House armed services committees
  • The general public (denied access to the full video)

What action is being taken

  • Hegseth and Rubio are conducting classified briefings for senators and House lawmakers on the strikes
  • The unedited video of the September 2nd incident is being shown to House and Senate armed services committees on Wednesday
  • Admiral Frank Bradley is briefing the armed services committees on Wednesday
  • The Senate is currently considering a defense spending bill that would require the Pentagon to provide full unedited videos of strikes to armed services committees
  • The Department of Defence continues to announce strikes via social media with grainy video clips
  • Senator Adam Schiff is making a request on the Senate floor to unanimously release the video to the full Congress

Why it matters

  • This situation raises critical legal and ethical questions about the conduct of military operations, particularly regarding compliance with Geneva Convention rules that forbid targeting wounded combatants. The lack of transparency and evidence presented for these strikes—which have killed at least 90 people—creates accountability concerns and tests the balance between national security interests and congressional oversight. The operations also have significant foreign policy implications, potentially escalating tensions with Venezuela and raising questions about whether the stated counter-narcotics mission is actually a pretext for regime change, as some Republican lawmakers have openly suggested.

What's next

  • The House and Senate armed services committees will view the unedited video on Wednesday
  • Admiral Frank Bradley will brief the armed services committees on Wednesday
  • The Senate will consider the defense spending bill requiring the Pentagon to provide full unedited videos of strikes to armed services committees
  • Senator Adam Schiff will make a floor request for unanimous consent to release the video to the full Congress

Read full article from source: BBC