WASHINGTON, D.C. – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not show Senators the unedited video of a highly scrutinized September strike on a boat in the Caribbean. On Tuesday, the Secretary along with the Secretary of State Marco Rubio met behind closed doors with congressional members on the administration’s operations in the Caribbean.
“We’re proud of what we’re doing,” said Secretary Hegseth. “We were able to lay it out very directly to these Senators and soon to the House. It’s all classified and we can’t talk about it now.”
Following a closed-door briefing with congressional members. Secretaries Hegseth and Rubio maintain the goal in the Caribbean is a counter drug mission.
“Which is focused on dismantling the infrastructure these terrorist organizations that are operating in our hemisphere, undermining the security of Americans, killing Americans, poisoning Americans,” said Sec. Rubio.
For months, US servicemembers have issued strikes on alleged drug carrying boats in the Caribbean. Members have wanted to get more clarity on the justificaiton and end goal in this. The Secretaries said they’ll let the House and Senate Armed Services Committees see the unedited video of a highly scrutinized Septetmber second attack, which some reports claim there was an additional strike targeting survivors of a first strike.
The secretaries did not show that video in the briefing.
“The administration came to this briefing empty handed,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D- NY), Senate Minority Leader. “That’s the major question that we face, and if they can’t be transparent on this, how can you trust their transparency on all the other issues swirling about in the Caribbean?”
Members shared mixed conclusions on what they took away from the briefing.
“This is exquisite intelligence that supports these actions,” said Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R- LA). “It is certainly appropriate and it’s necessary to protect the United States and our interests. That’s what was presented today.”
“I found the legal explanations and the strategic explanations incoherent, but I think the American people should see this video,” said Sen. Adam Schiff (D- CA).
“There’s no doubt in my mind we have the legal authority to blow up these boats, interdict these boats,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R- SC). “In 1989, [George HW] Bush 41 dropped the 82nd airborne into Panama, took the president and put him in American prison because he was a narco terrorist. There is no difference.”
However, the Senator said he’s concerned about Venezuelan President Nicolas Madruo. “We have 15 percent of the navy pointed at this guy if he’s still standing when this is over, this is a fatal major mistake to our standing in the world,” said Senator Graham. “If after all of this, if Maduro is still in power, that’s the worst possible signal you could send to Russia, China, Iran.”
