Democrat Lawmakers Slam Republicans' Account of Caribbean Sea Boat Strike Video as 'Completely False'
In a scathing critique, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Adam Smith has said that surveillance footage of US military strikes targeting an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea would contradict how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other Republicans have described it.
Smith described the video as "deeply disturbing" and said it showed two survivors trying to flip a boat over in an attempt to stay afloat, rather than being actively involved in any armed resistance. He also claimed that there were no radios on board and that the boat was clearly incapacitated.
The contrast between Smith's account and that of Hegseth and Republican Sen Tom Cotton, who both viewed the video, has raised concerns about the administration's justification for the strikes.
Hegseth had previously recounted what he was told about the subsequent strike, saying that there needed to be a reattack because there were still potential survivors trying to interact with another boat. However, Smith dismissed this as "ridiculous", pointing out that there were no radios on board.
The video has not been publicly released yet, and Democrats have called for its release, which would likely reveal the administration's version of events to be inaccurate.
Republican Sen Eric Schmitt defended the administration's actions, saying that designating cartels as terrorist organizations gives the president the authority to take drastic action. However, top Democrat Rep Adam Smith argued that this justification is unprecedented and warrants serious concern among the American people.
The controversy surrounding the video comes amidst a broader debate about the administration's military campaign against alleged drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The issue has also raised questions about President Donald Trump's pardon of Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving time for drug and weapons trafficking.
In a scathing critique, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Adam Smith has said that surveillance footage of US military strikes targeting an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea would contradict how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other Republicans have described it.
Smith described the video as "deeply disturbing" and said it showed two survivors trying to flip a boat over in an attempt to stay afloat, rather than being actively involved in any armed resistance. He also claimed that there were no radios on board and that the boat was clearly incapacitated.
The contrast between Smith's account and that of Hegseth and Republican Sen Tom Cotton, who both viewed the video, has raised concerns about the administration's justification for the strikes.
Hegseth had previously recounted what he was told about the subsequent strike, saying that there needed to be a reattack because there were still potential survivors trying to interact with another boat. However, Smith dismissed this as "ridiculous", pointing out that there were no radios on board.
The video has not been publicly released yet, and Democrats have called for its release, which would likely reveal the administration's version of events to be inaccurate.
Republican Sen Eric Schmitt defended the administration's actions, saying that designating cartels as terrorist organizations gives the president the authority to take drastic action. However, top Democrat Rep Adam Smith argued that this justification is unprecedented and warrants serious concern among the American people.
The controversy surrounding the video comes amidst a broader debate about the administration's military campaign against alleged drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The issue has also raised questions about President Donald Trump's pardon of Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving time for drug and weapons trafficking.
Like, how can our top lawmakers disagree so much on what really went down in that Caribbean Sea boat strike? It's crazy to think that the video, which is supposed to be proof of whatever happened, hasn't even been released yet! 
It seems like we're more focused on "drastic action" than actually making a difference.
. The thing is, we're only seeing one side of the story right now... can't help but wonder when (or if) that surveillance footage will come out and give us a better idea of what really went down 
. And what's with the whole "terrorist organization" thing? That sounds like some fancy lawyer speak to me 
. Can't we just get the truth out and have a real discussion about this? This whole cover-up thing is giving me the heebie-jeebies 
.
. And don't even get me started on Hegseth's ridiculous claim about needing to reattack because of potential survivors trying to interact with another boat... like, no radios on board or anything 
. The fact that the video hasn't been released yet is just a big PR move to cover their tracks... not cool 
. Can we please get the truth out here already? 
... and can we talk about how weird it is that President Trump pardoned this ex-president who was in for drug trafficking? 
. i mean, i guess we need more info before we can really judge, but i'm defo feeling some uneasy vibes about this whole thing 
. and can someone pls explain what the deal is with designating cartels as terrorist orgs? never heard of that before 
.
It's just not adding up, you know?
This whole thing just feels super sus to me...
... i'm all for transparency, you know? let the people see what's going on. and then we can decide if this whole thing is legit or not 
.
not buying it 
.
[A GIF of a boat being flipped over with a "BOOM" sound effect] 
And it looks like they're actually doing it... 
? And this talk about cartels being terrorist organizations? That sounds like a bunch of hooey to me 
. I mean come on, the fact that there were no radios on board and people were actually trying to stay afloat? Thats not some heroic resistance, thats basic human instinct 
. I mean, come on Rep. Smith is like "the truth, dude" and then Republicans are all "nope, we know what really went down". It's like they're speaking different languages or something 
. But at the same time, it seems like there's some major discrepancies here 
We need to know the truth 
. 
. Meanwhile, 75% of cartel-related deaths are now attributed to US airstrikes, which is just... 
The video showing two survivors trying to flip the boat over just to stay afloat is SO disturbing... I can see why they'd want to release it ASAP so we can get the real story out. 