Democrat says footage of ‘double tap’ boat strike is one of the ‘most troubling’ videos he has ever seen: Live updates
US admiral grilled over ‘troubling’ video of ‘double tap’ boat strike
- Democratic Rep. Jim Himes expressed profound concern after a closed-door briefing on a “double tap” strike by the U.S. military on an alleged drug boat.
- Himes, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described footage of the attack as “one of the most troubling things” he has seen in public service.
- The video depicted a September strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug boat, with Himes saying, “You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who are killed by the United States.”
- Admiral Frank Bradley, who was in charge at the time of the mission, is providing a classified briefing to lawmakers Thursday about the lethal strikes amid uproar that the second strike killing survivors may have amounted to “war crimes.”
- Republican Rep. Rick Crawford, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he believes the second strike was justified and said it was his understanding that Admiral Bradley ordered the second strike – not Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.