On Sunday, top Democrats urged for the immediate release of classified footage documenting the U.S. military's first operation targeting a boat in the Caribbean, which occurred in early September. This military operation has faced intense scrutiny, particularly due to its follow-up strike that tragically resulted in the deaths of two survivors.
The descriptions of the classified video have been sharply divided along party lines, with Democrats and Republicans presenting vastly different accounts. While some members of Congress have had access to the video, it has yet to be made publicly available. Representative Adam Smith of Washington, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, contested the Republican narrative, stating that it is “simply not accurate” to claim that the video depicts the survivors attempting to flip a capsized boat and recover its cargo for drug trafficking purposes.
In an interview with ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Smith emphasized, “It seems pretty clear they don’t want to release this video because they don’t want people to see it, because it’s very, very difficult to justify.” He viewed the footage last week and expressed concerns over the justification of the follow-up strike.
Similarly, Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, echoed Smith's sentiments after also viewing the video during a closed-door briefing. During his appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Himes stated that the two survivors “were barely alive, much less engaging in hostilities,” at the time of the second strike. He pointed out, “When you actually watch the video, you realize they don’t have a radio. They’re barely hanging on.”
Despite the discrepancies in interpretation, top Democrats, including Himes, expressed their confidence in U.S. intelligence that indicated the boats targeted in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific were involved in drug trafficking. However, Himes raised questions about the knowledge of the Trump administration regarding the identities of all 11 individuals who lost their lives in the attack on September 2, suggesting that they may not have been fully informed.
As the call for transparency grows, the release of the classified video could play a critical role in clarifying the events surrounding this controversial military operation and addressing the concerns raised by lawmakers from both parties.