Washington, 17 December (H.S.): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that only select members of key congressional committees would gain access to the complete, unedited footage of the controversial September 2 Caribbean boat strike, rebuffing broader demands amid mounting bipartisan scrutiny over its lethal double-tap execution.

Hegseth, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, delivered a classified briefing to Senators following reports that a secondary assault eradicated two survivors clinging to the vessel's wreckage after the initial blast, an operation now linked to at least 95 fatalities across 25 strikes targeting alleged narco-traffickers since early September.

While a pending House-passed defense bill mandates full video disclosure to armed services panels, Hegseth invoked longstanding Pentagon protocols to withhold the raw material from the public and rank-and-file lawmakers, prompting accusations of opacity from Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who queried trust in broader transparency.

Republicans diverged in response: North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis advocated committee viewing to affirm legality and suggested transcripts for decision-making insights, while Florida's Rick Scott and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham endorsed escalation, framing the campaign as a dual thrust against fentanyl flows and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, touted nine prior briefings as evidence of cooperation, even as Admiral Frank Bradley, who authorized the follow-up strike, prepares to address panels Wednesday, clarifying no kill them all directive emanated from Hegseth.

This comes hours after U.S. Southern Command disclosed strikes sinking three Pacific vessels and killing eight, perpetuating a pattern of grainy social media clips sans corroborative drug cargo proof, fueling legal debates over international waters engagements and potential regime-change undertones amid heightened Caribbean military deployments.

President Trump, initially amenable to footage release, deferred to Hegseth, as Maduro decries the actions as resource-driven provocations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar