High-ranking Democratic legislators in Congress have urged Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to provide all members of Congress and the public with the full, unedited video of the Sept. 2 strikes on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean.
The legislators made the call in a letter to Hegseth on Friday, Dec. 12.
It was written by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); and US Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“As some of the few members of Congress who have seen the complete, unedited video of the strikes on September 2 against a maritime vessel, we write to stress our grave concerns surrounding their circumstances,” they wrote. “As we have expressed directly to you, Secretary Rubio, General Caine, and Admiral Bradley, it is critical that you provide full transparency to Congress and to the American people.
“We, therefore, reiterate our request that you make the complete, unedited, full resolution video of the September 2 strikes available to all Members of the House and Senate before Congress completes its legislative session this month,” the legislators added. “We also urge you to expedite the public release of the video, taking into account appropriate precautions to protect sources and methods, so that the American people can judge for themselves the legality and necessity of their government engaging in such activities that potentially put our men and women in uniform at risk.”
On Friday, the United States Navy admiral overseeing US forces in Latin America and Caribbean retired, two years ahead of schedule.
The Miami-based US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which overseas military operations in the region, said Admiral Alvin Holsey relinquished duties as commander to Air Force Lieutenant General Evan L. Pettus at the command’s headquarters.
Holsey reportedly was in disagreement with the Donald J. Trump administration and its military operations in the Caribbean Sea.
Caribbean-American American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has condemned what she described as the Trump administration’s “unauthorized” military strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and in the Caribbean Sea.
“Since September, the Trump administration has carried out a series of unauthorized military strikes off the coast of Venezuela, across the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific,” Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life. “These operations have resulted in more than 80 deaths across 20 separate strikes — actions undertaken without congressional authorization, in clear violation of our Constitution.
“This ‘kill first and ask questions never’ approach is not only unlawful but fundamentally un-American,” added the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “These strikes have done nothing to curb the opioid crisis here at home.
“Instead, they reflect poor leadership and reckless decision-making at the highest levels, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issuing a verbal order ‘to kill everybody’ during a second strike on a suspected drug vessel, which is an alarming directive that demonstrates a cavalier disregard for both US and international law,” Clarke continued. “To date, the administration has provided no credible evidence to justify its actions.
“Rather than taking responsibility or accountability, this administration has shown nothing short of cowardly leadership by attempting to shift blame onto Navy Vice Admiral Frank Bradley for this unauthorized escalation toward conflict with Venezuela,” she said, noting that Congressional Democrats have called for briefings and hearings to address “these unlawful military actions.”
“Until we receive a formal explanation from the administration, it must cease using our Armed Forces for any hostilities in Venezuela or across the Caribbean,” the congresswoman said. “The Trump administration must atone for its actions before more are taken without due process and before further damage is done to our relationships with our Caribbean and Venezuelan neighbors.”
The US military reportedly struck the alleged drug-trafficking boat on Sept. 2 four times: twice to kill the 11 suspects on board and an additional two times to sink the boat.
Hegseth said on Dec. 9 at the White House that Admiral Frank Bradley, the commander of US Special Operations Command, “made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat.
“He sunk the boat, sunk the boat, and eliminated the threat,” Hegseth said. “And it was the right call. We have his back.”
