Name: U.S. bombings in international waters face scrutiny over Venezuela
Uploaded: 2025-12-17T00:29:31.611Z
Duration: 2 min 46 s
Description: U.S. military actions in international waters near Venezuela are under scrutiny following a September 2nd strike on a boat the U.S. claimed was transporting drugs, though no evidence has been provided.

U.S. military actions in international waters near Venezuela are under scrutiny following a September 2nd strike on a boat the U.S. claimed was transporting drugs, though no evidence has been provided.

Washington

U.S. military actions in international waters near Venezuela are under scrutiny following a September 2nd strike on a boat the U.S. claimed was transporting drugs, though no evidence has been provided. After the initial attack, a second strike targeted survivors, prompting congressional calls for the release of video evidence, which will be shown to select committee members but not the public.

Senators are questioning the rationale behind the bombings, as drug shipments from Venezuela do not typically target the U.S. Further insight from Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles indicates the strategy aims for regime change in Venezuela, not drug interdiction, and that any potential land strikes would require congressional approval.

U.S. bombings in international waters face scrutiny over Venezuela

And for that, Shihab Razanzi joins us live now from Washington. Shihab, what's come out of these briefings exactly? A little bit of news. I mean, clearly there are questions about on what jurisdiction the administration is using in the first place to bomb anyone in international waters, killing them extrajudicially, whether in the Eastern Pacific or the Caribbean. But there's been one particular focus, which is the attack on September the 2nd, when the U.S. struck a boat, which they claimed was shipping drugs. Again, no evidence. And then went back a second time, the order was given, to finish off the survivors who were clinging on to the shipwreck. That's become a particular focus here in Congress, with calls for the video to be released publicly. We do now have a bit of movement there, in the sense that the congressional leadership has already seen the video. But now the members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee will see the video, too. We're also going to, tomorrow, allow the HASC and SASC to see the unedited video of the September 2nd, alongside with Admiral Bradley, who has done a fantastic job, has made all the right calls, and we're glad he'll be there to do it. But in keeping with longstanding Department of War policy, Department of Defense policy, of course, we're not going to release a top-secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public. But we're hearing, after these briefings, Senators certainly say, look, what is the endgame? What is the point of all these bombings? Clearly, it can't really be about drugs, given, certainly not fentanyl, given that fentanyl isn't being exported from Venezuela to the U.S. What cocaine is being transshipped, it goes to Europe and West Africa. So, what is the point of all this? What's the endgame? And we are getting a few more clues, but not in these congressional briefings, And we are getting a few more clues, but not in these congressional briefings, but from a kind of bombshell interview that the very influential Trump chief of staff, Susie Wiles, gave to Vanity Fair magazine, which has been the talk of the town all day today, here in Washington, D.C. She says that the strategy is, Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle, and people way smarter than me say that he will. So, regime change, not drug interdiction. As far as land strikes are concerned, which Trump keeps on trailing as a possibility in the imminent future, she says this, if he were to authorize some activity on land, then it's war, then we need Congress. They would go for congressional authorization in order to bomb Venezuela proper. So, that's the latest tea leaves we get from Susie Wiles, the very influential chief of staff, about what exactly is the plan anyway. All right. Thank you very much for that update, Shahab. Return to see you there.

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