Release the Full Strike Video and Investigate Unlawful Killings at Sea

I am urging you to demand the full, unedited video of the September 2 strike in the Caribbean and to open immediate hearings into the legality of this operation and the broader campaign of lethal force the Trump Administration is conducting without proper authorization. Members of Congress who viewed the September 2 footage described a deeply disturbing scene. Rep. Jim Himes said he saw two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, clinging to a destroyed vessel—killed by the United States. He called it one of the most troubling things he has ever seen. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley has now admitted the survivors were not communicating with anyone, contradicting earlier justifications leaked to the press. Instead, he argued they might someday “continue their mission” because the wreckage could contain cocaine. A source familiar with the briefing called this rationale “f*cking insane.” Legal experts agree: even if the administration’s dubious claim of an “armed conflict” were true, killing shipwrecked or incapacitated survivors is manifestly unlawful under the Geneva Conventions, the UCMJ, and maritime law. Meanwhile, the killing campaign continues. As the Guardian reports, the Pentagon has now conducted its 22nd strike, killing four more men in the eastern Pacific, bringing the death toll to at least 87 people since September. The Pentagon and White House are visibly struggling to explain the legal basis for these attacks. Disturbingly, The Independent reports that Pete Hegseth pressured Admiral Alvin Holsey, then-head of U.S. Southern Command, to stop questioning the “murky” legality of the strikes, telling him: “When you get an order, you move out fast and don’t ask questions.” Holsey was pushed out after raising concerns. Members of both parties have raised serious alarms. Rep. Mike Turner warned that Congress lacks accurate information and noted that even if the people aboard these boats were guilty of drug crimes, they are not subject to capital punishment. Turner and Sen. Rand Paul have also warned that these attacks appear to be laying the groundwork for military action in Venezuela, about which Congress has received no lawful notification under the War Powers Resolution. Sen. Jack Reed said the briefing “confirmed [his] worst fears” and demanded the release of the complete, unedited footage. Sen. Paul said the video of shipwrecked survivors being bombed “should be shown to every American.” At the same time, extremists are celebrating the killings online, and Hegseth has publicly encouraged them. Congress must now: 1. Obtain and release the full September 2 video. 2. Hold immediate hearings on legality and oversight. 3. Compel sworn testimony from all involved officials. 4. Suspend or remove anyone responsible for unlawful killings. 5. Prevent any unauthorized expansion of hostilities, including toward Venezuela. This is urgent. Please act now.