A US Navy admiral testified that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth did not give the order to 'kill them all' during a controversial second US military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, multiple lawmakers have said.
The affirmations by Democratic and Republican lawmakers were made after viewing footage of the 2 September double-strike incident and hearing from Adm Frank Bradley in closed-door hearings.
The briefing before members of the House of Representatives and later the Senate came as questions continued around the legality of military force used against suspected drug boats.
The White House has said Adm Bradley was responsible for the strikes and that he acted within the law.
Adm Bradley 'did the right thing', said Democratic congressman Jim Himes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, after he heard from the admiral and viewed the video.
'But what I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service,' Himes said. 'Yes, they were carrying drugs. They were not in the position to continue their mission in any way.'
After the briefing, Representative Adam Smith, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, released a joint statement with Himes calling for the video to be released publicly.
'The briefing left us with more questions than answers, and Congress must continue to investigate this matter and conduct oversight,' they said.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Adm Bradley and Hegseth 'did exactly what we would expect them to do'.
'I saw two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound to the United States back over so they could stay in the fight,' Cotton said.
Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat, said he was 'disturbed' by what he saw, adding that his party would continue to investigate the incident.
The revelation there were two strikes when the first left survivors has raised new questions over the legality of the administration's deadly ongoing campaign against boats, due to what the rules of conflict say about targeting wounded combatants.
US President Donald Trump has said he has 'no problem' with video of the second strike being made public. Footage of the first strike has already been released.
During the incident, two survivors of the first strike tried to climb back onto the boat before the vessel was hit a second time, US media including CBS reported. A source said the pair appeared to be trying to salvage drugs.
The issue has drawn concern from Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike, many of whom had already criticised the military campaign more generally.
As well as the lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats, the US has expanded its military presence in the Caribbean.
Venezuela itself has repeatedly condemned the strikes, and has accused the White House of stoking tensions in the region with the aim of toppling the government.
Multiple experts have raised serious doubts that the second strike on survivors could be considered legal under international law, pointing out that criminals should instead be apprehended and cared for.
