WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders on Tuesday that he is still considering whether to release the full video of an alleged drug ship attack that killed two survivors, despite growing congressional pressure on him to disclose it.
Hegseth joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior national security officials in providing classified briefings to congressional leaders. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said that when he asked the defense secretary whether every member of Congress would be allowed to view the video of the attack from September, Hegseth’s response was: “We have to study it.”
But lawmakers are demanding a full accounting from the Defense Department of the attack that killed two people clinging to debris from the initial attack. Legal experts said the action may have violated laws on the use of lethal military force. The situation has awakened the oversight role of the Republican-controlled Congress after months of frustration with a steady stream of information coming from the Pentagon.
Schumer called the briefing “highly unsatisfactory,” adding that “every member of Congress — so many members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans — has a right to see it, wants to see it, and deserves to see it.”
Separately, the U.S. Navy admiral who is taking early retirement from command that destroyed ships suspected of carrying drugs near Venezuela spoke Tuesday with key lawmakers who oversee the U.S. military. A confidential video call between Gen. Alvin Holsey, who is retiring from U.S. Southern Command in the coming days, and the Republican chairman, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is another firm step lawmakers are taking to get answers about the operation.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, declined to discuss specific details of the call but described Holsey as a “great public servant.” He also said the Pentagon was weighing whether releasing the video would reveal classified information.
In the annual defense authorization bill co-authored by Republicans and Democrats, Congress demanded that the Pentagon turn over unedited video of the attack as well as the order authorizing it. The legislation threatens to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if he refuses.
“There is a growing demand that everyone in the Senate has the right to see it,” said Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He added that Holsey had answered the senators’ questions and that they had “a little more clarity,” but also said “there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered.” Reid later added that Holsey did not give a reason for retiring, saying only that it was a personal decision.
Congress urges more information
What lawmakers learn from Holsey could shed new light on the aims and parameters of the Trump campaign, which has hit 22 ships and killed at least 87 people since it began in September. Trump has also been threatening Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by sending a fleet of warships closer to the South American country, including the largest U.S. aircraft carrier.
Holsey took over as commander of U.S. Southern Command more than a year ago, but in October, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Holsey would retire early. As commander of U.S. forces in the region, Horsey oversaw a command structure that in recent years has focused on building stability and cooperation across much of the region.
However, Trump’s drug-trafficking operation has added a new and deadly dynamic to his mission. Rather than trying to intercept drug ships, as forces like the U.S. Coast Guard have traditionally done, the Trump administration has claimed that drugs and drug smugglers pose a direct threat to American lives. Officials say they are applying the same rules as the Global War on Terror to eliminate drug smugglers.
Republicans mostly support the entire campaign, but Democrats say there are serious problems with the logic behind it.
“They’re using expensive, sophisticated U.S. military capabilities to kill what amounts to corner dealers and making no progress in stopping drug cartels,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
Lawmakers also questioned what intelligence the military used to determine whether a ship’s cargo was destined for the United States. After taking a closer look at the Sept. 2 attack, lawmakers learned that the destroyed ship was heading south at the time of the attack, and military intelligence suggested it was heading toward another ship bound for Suriname.
Still, it remains to be seen whether the Republican-controlled Congress will resist the Trump administration’s campaign.
“I want a complete set of data to draw my conclusions,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has called for accountability after news of the killings of the two survivors came to light.
Trump defended the attack this week, claiming two suspected drug smugglers were trying to repair parts of the ship after it capsized during the initial attack. However, Gen. Frank “Mickey” Bradley, the special operations commander who ordered the second strike, told lawmakers at a closed-door briefing last week that he ordered the second strike to ensure that the cocaine on the ship would not be picked up later by drug cartel members.
War powers resolution vote
A group of senators – three Democrats and one Republican – are also preparing to vote as early as next week on legislation that would block Trump’s ability to use force directly against Venezuela without congressional approval.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who sponsored the legislation, said he had “deep doubts about the legality of any of these actions” after reading confidential Justice Department legal opinions supporting the ship strikes.
Senators have tried unsuccessfully to pass a similar resolution, but nearly all Republicans voted against it. However, senators said there is renewed interest among Republican lawmakers amid growing threats to Venezuela from the Trump administration and scrutiny of attacks that killed survivors.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who also sponsored the legislation, called for public hearings on Holsey. He argued that laws that specify when it is legal to fire on distressed troops also protect American soldiers who find themselves in the same situation.
“The attacks on people injured in the ocean do violate our code of military justice,” he said. “They are unlawful.”
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Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed.