Reps. Garamendi and Ryan Call for Public Release of Venezuela Strike Footage
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, joined Rep. Ryan (NY-18) and 17 other Congressional Armed Services Committee Democrats demanding that the Department of Defense release any audio and/or visual footage of controversial follow-on strikes in the Caribbean on September 2nd, 2025. In addition to Congressional Democrats, President Trump previously called on the footage to be released.
“If Hegseth has nothing to hide, releasing all audio/visual footage from the Venezuela boat strikes should not be an issue for Hegseth,” said Congressman Garamendi. “I urge Hegseth to do the right thing and let the American people judge for themselves the whole story.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reported to have given the order to ‘kill’ everyone aboard an alleged drug-trafficking boat coming from Venezuela. Additional strikes were ordered on the already-inoperable vessel, aimed at killing two survivors clinging to the wreckage.
Only eight Representatives have been granted access to the footage, which shows additional kinetic strikes on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean to kill two survivors clinging to the wreck.
House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes called the footage “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker, asserting that the survivors “were not in the position to continue their mission in any way.”
In addition to Reps. Garamendi and Ryan, the letter to Secretary Hegseth was signed by: Representatives Wesley Bell (MO-01), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Jason Crow (CO-06), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Sara Jacobs (CA-52), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Seth Moulton (MA-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07).
A copy of the letter to Secretary Hegseth is included below:
Dear Secretary Hegseth,
We write to request that you release all audio and video footage from the kinetic strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean on September 2, 2025, including the follow-on strikes.
Our concern stems from reports that you, as Secretary of Defense, issued an order to “kill everybody,” followed by additional strikes seeking to kill the two remaining unarmed, shipwrecked individuals.
The American people deserve transparency on these attacks; it is your obligation to release the footage. We look forward to your prompt response and release of this footage to the public, as has already been promised by President Trump.
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