Leading Democratic lawmakers have labeled classified video, depicting multiple strikes on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean last September, as “deeply disturbing” and “one of the most troubling things” they’ve witnessed. They are now urging the Trump Administration to declassify the footage, allowing the public to determine the appropriateness of the attack.
“It’s really important that this video be made public,” stated Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), who viewed the footage during a private briefing last Thursday with other select lawmakers. Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, noted that interpretations of the video diverged along party lines, asserting, “This is an instance in which I think the American public needs to judge for itself.”
“They ought to release the video,” urged Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA). He added, “If they release the video, then everything that the Republicans are saying will clearly be portrayed to be completely false and people will get a look at it and they will see.”
The September 2 attack on the suspected drug boat, which resulted in 11 fatalities, has drawn renewed scrutiny following reports that the U.S. military engaged and killed survivors of an initial strike in a subsequent action. This has prompted concerns and questions from members of Congress.
On September 2, President Donald Trump had shared a brief video, labeled “UNCLASSIFIED,” on his Truth Social platform. The clip seemingly depicted only an initial strike on individuals Trump identified as “Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists” “at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.” Trump also issued a warning: the strike should “serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”
Many lawmakers who viewed subsequent video footage have remained silent, citing the classified nature of their briefing with military officials. However, some, including Himes and Smith, provided descriptions that suggested possible breaches of international law.
Following the briefing, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) provided limited details but indicated there were four strikes in total: the first killed nine, the second killed the survivors, and the third and fourth strikes sank the boat. He told reporters, “It’d be hard to watch the series of videos and not be troubled by it.”
Post-briefing, Himes stated he had witnessed “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service,” describing “two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion.” Himes further asserted, “Any American who sees the video that I saw will see the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors.” The Connecticut lawmaker later told CBS that the survivors were “barely alive, much less engaging in hostilities.”
Republicans, conversely, maintained the U.S. actions against the boat were justified and have challenged Democratic assertions that the survivors were helpless.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee and was also briefed last week, stated that the footage depicted two survivors “sitting or standing on top of a capsized boat” before being killed in the second strike. Cotton clarified, “They weren’t floating helplessly in the water.” He added, “It looked at one point like they were trying to flip the boat back over presumably to rescue its cargo and continue their mission.”
Cotton also mentioned that one survivor “takes off his T-shirt” at one point when questioned about reports the two were signaling for help after their boat was struck. However, Cotton downplayed the survivors’ actions, stating, “It doesn’t really matter what they were trying to do. What matters is they were not in a shipwrecked state, distressed, dog-paddling in the water at all.”
On ABC, Smith, the Washington Democrat, reiterated earlier descriptions from other Democrats regarding the survivors. He asserted, “When they were finally taken out, they weren’t trying to flip the boat over. The boat was clearly incapacitated. A tiny portion of it remained capsized, the bow of the boat.” He further noted that the boat was “adrift,” carried by the current, and that the two survivors were “trying to figure out how to survive.”
Smith also challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s justification for the subsequent strikes, which claimed that the “couple of folks that could still be in the fight” possessed radios and could contact other vessels. Smith countered, “They had no communications device. Certainly, they were unarmed.”
While President Donald Trump had indicated no issues with releasing the classified video of the September 2 attack, Hegseth has not yet committed to making it public, stating his department would “review the process” initially.
“I would trust Secretary Hegseth and his team to make the decision about whether they can declassify and release the video,” Cotton remarked, adding, “But again, there’s nothing remarkable about the video, in my opinion.”
