In a recent development, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon would not be making public the “top secret, full, unedited video” of a September strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. This decision has sparked widespread controversy and raised concerns about transparency and accountability in military operations.
The strike, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals who were clinging to the wreckage of a burning boat, has been a focal point of criticism against the Trump administration’s campaign against Venezuela. Legal experts have even suggested that US forces may have committed a war crime by targeting survivors of the initial attack.
While Hegseth has defended the Pentagon’s decision, stating that the full video will only be shown to select US lawmakers, there has been growing pressure for the video to be released to the public. Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent defense hawk, has called for the full video to be made available to all members of Congress, expressing his dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency surrounding the strike.
The withholding of the video has also led to a rift within the GOP, with some Republican senators openly questioning Hegseth’s decision. The lack of transparency and accountability in this matter has raised concerns about the ethical implications of military actions and the need for greater oversight.
As the controversy continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the Pentagon will address the growing calls for transparency and accountability in this matter. The decision to withhold the full video of the Caribbean strike has ignited a debate about the balance between national security interests and the public’s right to information.
**Political Bias Index:** Neutral
**References:**
– Fox News: [Pentagon won’t release ‘top secret, full, unedited’ video of September drug boat strike, Hegseth says](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon-wont-release-top-secret-full-unedited-video-september-drug-boat-strike-hegseth-says)
– The Guardian: [Pentagon won’t release full video of Caribbean strike that killed two people, Hegseth says](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/pentagon-wont-release-full-video-caribbean-attack)
– The Washington Times: [Hegseth says he won’t publicly release video of boat that killed survivors in the Caribbean](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/16/pete-hegseth-says-wont-publicly-release-video-boat-killed-survivors/)
– BBC News: [Only some US lawmakers to see full video of controversial boat strike, Hegseth says](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxwglkpdw7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)
– The Hill: [Graham: Hegseth should release full video of Sept. 2 strike on survivors](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5651719-pentagon-withholds-venezuela-strike-video/)
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