The US Pentagon has confirmed it will not publicly release the complete video footage of a controversial military strike in the Caribbean that resulted in the deaths of two individuals, as legal experts question the operation's legality and potential war crimes.
Controversial Strike and Calls for Transparency
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Tuesday that the full, unedited video of the 2 September attack would remain classified. The incident, part of Donald Trump's intensified campaign against Venezuela, saw US forces target a vessel allegedly smuggling narcotics. The two fatalities occurred when survivors of an initial air strike were hit while clinging to the wreckage of their burning boat.
Democrats, including Senate leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded the video's release for full congressional scrutiny. Schumer criticised the administration for arriving at a classified briefing for senators "empty-handed," arguing that a lack of transparency on this issue casts doubt on their handling of the entire Caribbean situation. President Trump initially supported making the footage public but later deferred to Hegseth's judgement.
Legal Concerns and Political Divisions
Legal authorities have voiced serious concerns that US forces may have committed a war crime by attacking survivors of the initial strike. The broader military campaign, which has involved attacking over 20 vessels and killing at least 90 people since early September, is itself under scrutiny for its legality.
This has sparked a sharp political divide. Lawmakers from both chambers have introduced war powers resolutions to curb presidential military action against Venezuela without Congressional approval. Votes could occur this week, though passage is uncertain without Republican support.
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky remained critical after the briefing, stating he heard nothing to contradict his view that "there really isn't a legal or a moral justification for killing unarmed people." Conversely, Trump allies like Senator Tim Sheehy, a former Navy Seal, defended the operations as "legally sound."
A Campaign of Escalation
The strike in question represents the most contentious moment in a campaign that has seen the US seize an oil tanker and threaten further action against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington labels a "narco-terrorist." The most recent action, announced on Monday, involved strikes on three more vessels, killing eight individuals.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina argued the campaign must continue until Maduro is removed from power, warning that failure would send a disastrous signal to global adversaries. Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Chris Coons questioned the Pentagon's classification rationale, noting the administration routinely posts footage of other strikes.
Secretary Hegseth, adhering to what he called longstanding Department of Defense policy, has agreed only to a private viewing for members of the House and Senate armed services committees, alongside Admiral Frank Bradley, who commanded the September strike.
