New testimonies delivered to the US Congress have deepened doubts about the military decision to carry out a second attack against a vessel allegedly used for drug trafficking in the Caribbean on September 2.

Lawmakers who accessed classified videos of the operation They assert that the two survivors appeared to be asking for help and not engaging in hostile acts, as the Pentagon initially argued, according to The New York Post.

According to sources who attended the private hearings and spoke on condition of anonymity to the aforementioned media outlet, the first attack broke the boat in two, killed nine people, and left the wreckage adrift in a thick cloud of smoke for half an hour. When visibility improved enough to see the survivors, videos showed two men struggling to stay afloat and repeatedly trying to climb onto the overturned hull.

Several lawmakers said the men were waving their arms in the air, a gesture that could be interpreted as surrender or a plea for rescue.

The Department of Defense's Laws of War Manual classifies shipwrecked individuals as requiring "assistance and care" and states that they should not be attacked. However, senior military officials argued before Congress that the survivors might have been trying to contact accomplices or request support to continue drug trafficking. That version was weakened on Thursday when Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley acknowledged that the images did not show a radio, satellite phone, or other means of communication in the hands of the crew members. The admission contradicts previous explanations from officials who claimed that the men had requested reinforcements. Bradley, who directed the operation from the Joint Special Operations Command,He told lawmakers that the command team debated for 41 minutes what to do while the two survivors continued trying to right the wreckage of the boat. According to two sources with direct knowledge of the session, the admiral ultimately ordered the complete destruction of the remaining structure because they believed it could still contain packages of cocaine. Under that interpretation, the survivors could have reached land, been rescued, and resumed illicit activities. The second attack was carried out with two additional missiles—four in total during the operation—and killed the two men who were still clinging to the vessel. After the final impacts, the survivors disappear from the video frame, according to people familiar with the recordings. The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was carrying drugs “destined for the United States” and that it posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors attempting to recover a boat "loaded with drugs destined for the United States," Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. "Any American who watches that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors," said Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat. "They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission."According to two sources with direct knowledge of the session, the admiral ultimately ordered the complete destruction of the remaining structure because they believed it might still contain packages of cocaine. Under that interpretation, the survivors could have reached land, been rescued, and resumed illicit activities. The second attack was carried out with two additional missiles—four in total during the operation—and killed the two men who were still clinging to the vessel. After the final impacts, the survivors disappear from the video frame, according to people familiar with the recordings. The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was transporting drugs “destined for the United States” and that it posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors attempting to recover a boat "loaded with drugs destined for the United States," Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. "Any American who watches that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors," said Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat. "They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission."According to two sources with direct knowledge of the session, the admiral ultimately ordered the complete destruction of the remaining structure because they believed it might still contain packages of cocaine. Under that interpretation, the survivors could have reached land, been rescued, and resumed illicit activities. The second attack was carried out with two additional missiles—four in total during the operation—and killed the two men who were still clinging to the vessel. After the final impacts, the survivors disappear from the video frame, according to people familiar with the recordings. The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was transporting drugs “destined for the United States” and that it posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors attempting to recover a boat "loaded with drugs destined for the United States," Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. "Any American who watches that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors," said Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat. "They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission."The survivors could have reached land, been rescued, and resumed illicit activities. The second attack was carried out with two additional missiles—four in total during the operation—and killed the two men who were still clinging to the vessel. After the final impacts, the survivors disappear from the video frame, according to people familiar with the recordings. The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was carrying drugs “destined for the United States” and posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them "fabricated." Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed survivors attempting to recover a boat “loaded with drugs destined for the United States,” Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. “Any American who watches that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors,” said Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat. “They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission.”The survivors could have reached land, been rescued, and resumed illicit activities. The second attack was carried out with two additional missiles—four in total during the operation—and killed the two men who were still clinging to the vessel. After the final impacts, the survivors disappear from the video frame, according to people familiar with the recordings. The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was carrying drugs “destined for the United States” and posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them "fabricated." Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed survivors attempting to recover a boat “loaded with drugs destined for the United States,” Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. “Any American who watches that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors,” said Representative Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat. “They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission.”The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was carrying drugs “destined for the United States” and posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did happen and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors trying to recover a boat "loaded with drugs destined for the United States," Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. "Any American who sees that video will see our armed forces shooting at shipwrecked sailors," said Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut. "They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission."The military justification contrasts with statements made in September by President Donald Trump, who asserted that the boat was carrying drugs “destined for the United States” and posed a direct threat. However, information presented to lawmakers indicates that the vessel was planning to transfer its cargo to another ship bound for Suriname, a route that, according to anti-drug authorities, typically supplies the European market, not the American one. The incident occurs as scrutiny continues over the maritime campaign launched during the Trump presidency in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which has destroyed more than 20 vessels and left at least 80 dead since September. Democratic lawmakers maintain that the mission explicitly authorized the elimination of both the drugs and the 11 people aboard the boat attacked on September 2. The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did happen and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the gap on the Capitol. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors trying to recover a boat "loaded with drugs destined for the United States," Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. "Any American who sees that video will see our armed forces shooting at shipwrecked sailors," said Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut. "They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission."The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the divide on Capitol Hill. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors attempting to recover a boat “loaded with drugs destined for the United States,” Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. “Any American who sees that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors,” said Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut. “They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission.”The Pentagon has offered shifting explanations in recent weeks. Spokespeople for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially rejected reports of a second attack, calling them “fabricated.” Days later, the White House confirmed that it did occur and attributed the order to Bradley. The admiral himself told Congress that Hegseth did not give specific instructions to kill them all, although the secretary had been clear that the operation had to be lethal. Thursday's sessions failed to bridge the divide on Capitol Hill. While Republican Senator Tom Cotton asserted that the video showed the survivors attempting to recover a boat “loaded with drugs destined for the United States,” Democratic lawmakers described the footage as disturbing evidence of an attack on defenseless men. “Any American who sees that video will see our armed forces firing on shipwrecked sailors,” said Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut. “They were criminals, yes, but they were not in a condition to continue their mission.”

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