U.S. lawmakers react to LETHAL Caribbean boat strikes

Video footage of a U.S. military strike on alleged drug smugglers on a boat in the Caribbean shows two people stranded and “in clear distress” after their boat was “destroyed” in a Sept. 2 strike, a leading House Democrat said Thursday after meeting with the Navy admiral who oversaw the mission. Rep. Jim Himes (Connecticut), the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the footage that was shown during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill as “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.” The meeting in which the footage was shown was part of a series taking place on Thursday with Adm. Frank M. Bradley, the U.S. Special Operations commander who oversaw the Sept. 2 attack on a boat from Venezuela, alleged to be smuggling drugs. The operation killed 11 people, including two survivors who died in a second strike. Caption from reporting by Maegan Vazquez and Noah Robertson. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/04/trump-hegseth-responses-boat-strikes/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/04/bradley-congress-boat-strikes/