A group of US lawmakers is upping the pressure on the Pentagon to release unedited video footage of a controversial “double-tap” military strike in the Caribbean.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Two weeks ago the Washington Post released a report citing sources who claimed that after a US missile strike destroyed a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean, two survivors were left clinging to the wreckage before being killed in a second follow-up strike. The report suggested that the second attack may have been deliberately ordered to eliminate the survivors, who appeared to be unarmed, shirtless, and in clear distress. If true, this would constitute a war crime. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has since pushed back on that narrative, stating he watched the initial strike live but could not see any survivors due to the fire and smoke, and added that he only learned of the second strike later. He defended the military’s actions by attributing the situation to the “fog of war.”

What’s going on now: In a notable development, a group of US lawmakers is using a provision in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to force the Pentagon to release the full, unedited video of the September 2 strike. Buried in the 3,000-page draft bill is a clause that would withhold 25% of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget for 2026 unless the Department of Defense turns over video footage of all strikes against designated terrorist organizations in the US Southern Command’s area of responsibility. This move is drawing bipartisan support, as both Democrats and Republicans call for greater transparency about what happened that day and whether the US military violated the laws of war by targeting survivors.

Lawmakers who have seen the video are sharply divided. Democratic Congressman Jim Himes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, described the second strike as “deeply, deeply troubling” after a classified briefing with Admiral Frank Bradley, who ordered the attack. In contrast, Republican Senator Tom Cotton defended the operation, calling it “entirely lawful and needful,” and dismissed concerns about the graphic nature of the footage, likening it to routine strikes seen in past US military operations.

President Trump initially said he had “no problem” with releasing the video, telling an ABC News reporter, “Whatever they have, we’d certainly release, no problem.”

For his part, Hegseth has remained noncommittal, stating that the Pentagon is “reviewing the process” and citing concerns over ongoing operations, sources, methods, and troop safety. He added that any decision to release footage must be handled “responsibly” and noted that the operation is still active.