Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to release unedited footage of what he describes as reckless and dangerous strikes in the Caribbean. Schumer stated that Congress would withhold a significant portion of the Secretary of War’s travel budget until the footage is made public.
Secretary Hegseth avoided directly answering questions on Saturday regarding whether the Pentagon planned to release video documentation of the second U.S. strike in the Caribbean. This particular strike resulted in the deaths of two survivors from a previous attack on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking.
The White House previously confirmed that a U.S. Navy commander, operating under Hegseth’s authority, ordered what has become known as the “double tap” strike. This incident has reignited debate about the legality of the attack and the potential for serious overreach.
Both strikes, which occurred in early September, resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals. They were part of a months-long U.S. military campaign targeting drug smuggling networks in Caribbean waters, a campaign that, according to official figures, has led to the deaths of over 80 people.
While the U.S. military released footage of the initial strike, public and legislative pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to release any available recordings of the second strike that resulted in the deaths of the survivors.
Secretary Hegseth has vehemently denied reports in *The Washington Post* alleging that he personally ordered the killing of the survivors, dismissing the claims as “ludicrous” and designed to present a “caricatured” image of him and the decision-making process within the Pentagon. However, he has stood by his full endorsement of the attack, stating, “If the decision were presented to me, I would make it the same way.”
These military operations against vessels Washington claims are smuggling drugs into the United States are being conducted under an executive order issued by President Trump. The order calls for the greater and more effective use of the military in combating drug cartels in Latin America.
