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One of the few U.S. lawmakers who has seen secret footage of U.S. military strikes on a suspected drug ship off the coast of Venezuela says the public should see the evidence, too.
“I think it is very important that this video be made public. Of course, it was not lost on anyone that the interpretation of the video, which, you know, six or seven of us had the opportunity to see last week, fell right along party lines,” Rep. Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat, said in an interview with “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“I know how the audience will react because I felt my own reaction,” Himes added.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., speaks to reporters after a briefing at the U.S. Capitol with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about military strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean, Nov. 5, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Democrats quickly condemned the administration when news first broke that the US War Department had ordered a second strike to kill the survivors who had somehow escaped the first strike.
Republicans, by contrast, have largely defended the strike, arguing that the administration has taken the necessary steps to eliminate drug traffickers whom the president Donald Trump were recognized as terrorists.
The War Department ordered more than 20 different strikes on small vessels in the Caribbean in pursuit of so-called drug smuggling activities.
It is believed that just one strike included multiple attacks to kill the survivors.
“I think it's important for Americans to see this because, look, there is a certain amount of sympathy for going after drug dealers,” Himes said. “But I think it's really important for people to see what it looks like to have the full force of the United States military against two guys who are clinging to a piece of wood and about to drown, just so they have a sort of visceral sense of what we're doing.”
Capitol Hill insurrection threatens Trump's Venezuela agenda as Caribbean strike monitors
A shot of a U.S. guidance system on a small boat (left) next to Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., right. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Himes said his assessment of the videos was based on the vulnerability of the targets.
“These guys — and this is why the American people need to see this video — these guys were barely alive, let alone in combat,” Himes said.
In addition to viewing the footage, Himes said he had met with Admiral Frank Bradley, suggesting Bradley was pressured to throw the punches.
“Anyone who has ever worked with Admiral Bradley will tell you that he has had a legendary career and that he is a man of deep, deep integrity. And frankly, I have no reason to doubt that,” Himes said.
“A seemingly good person like Admiral Bradley is in a situation where he knows that if he cancels an order that he may not like, it is very likely that he will be fired,” Himes said.
DEMOCRATS TALK IF THEY BELIEVE US CITIZENS OR DRUG DEALERS ARE MORE IMPORTANT
Rep. Jim Himes speaks to the press after a briefing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, February 14, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Details of the communications surrounding the second strike and his order remain unclear.
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Late last month, the House and Senate launched investigations into the strikes. When asked about the progress of the investigation, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, declined to describe the investigation but said lawmakers would evaluate all relevant evidence.
“The investigation will be based on the numbers,” Wicker said.
