Hegseth's Defense Falls Apart as Democrats Expose Shocking Video Evidence

Congressional members were recently allowed to view classified footage of the second boat strike that has sparked intense debate in Washington, under the supervision of Admiral Frank Bradley, who led the mission. The content of the video has raised serious concerns and appears to weaken Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths position.

Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, stated that the footageshowing two men clinging to a portion of a previously destroyed boatseriously undermines Hegseths narrative. This raises major concerns and demands a thorough investigation, Smith emphasized.

According to Smith, the video depicts two shirtless men stranded on a small fragment of the capsized boat, barely able to hold four people. Lawmakers were told during the briefing that officials deemed these men capable of continuing their mission. Smith described this rationale as highly questionable, given the obvious incapacitation of the men.

Officials indicated that their judgment relied on the possibility that drugs might still be present on the wrecked vessel. Even though the men were clearly incapacitated, it was assumed they could still complete their drug mission, Smith explained. This reasoning conflicts with standard interpretations of the laws of war, which generally prohibit targeting individuals who are no longer actively engaged in combat.

The Trump administration maintains that all individuals killed in these operations are narco-terrorists, framing them as combatants. However, many legal experts dispute this classification, asserting that while drug trafficking is a crime, it does not justify military execution of civilians in international waters.

The briefing revealed that the two men were considered "still in the fight" solely due to the potential presence of drugs, despite clear evidence they were shipwrecked and immobile. Smith insisted this evidence necessitates continued investigation and casts doubt on Hegseths claims that the strike occurred under a fog of war scenario.

Republican officials have defended the strike as lawful. Senator Tom Cotton argued the video showed the men attempting to salvage a drug-laden boat. Yet, if Smiths description is accurate, the vessel was incapacitated and the drugs were not visible, challenging that defense.

Military representatives clarified that Hegseth did not personally order the elimination of all individuals on the boat, although his mission directive instructed the destruction of the vessel and its occupants. The rules of engagement under Hegseths command effectively directed the killing of all 11 people on board, Smith noted.

While Smith acknowledged evidence that the boat initially carried drugs, he emphasized that categorizing the occupants as combatants is legally indefensible. Their definition of the fight is extraordinarily broad, and that makes the order to kill all 11 individuals even more troubling, he said. Representative Jim Himes echoed this view, highlighting that the victims were clearly in distress and without means of escape.

Smith and other lawmakers have urged the military to release the video and the legal memo authorizing the strikes, although officials stated that such decisions are not within their authority. Questions also remain about possible radio communications from the men seeking assistance, which could have influenced their classification as combatants, but no recordings have been found.

Brian Finucane, a former State Department attorney, described the operation as potentially illegal, noting that the targeting of the men themselves could constitute a war crime. Based on lawmaker descriptions, it appears the men were shipwrecked and deliberately targeted, Finucane said, adding that Hegseths explanations are failing under scrutiny.

Author: Logan Reeves