Trump Venezuela
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to brief members of Congress on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington.
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President Donald Trump’s top Cabinet officials overseeing national security are back on Capitol Hill as questions mount over the swift escalation of U.S. military force and deadly boat strikes in international waters near Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others briefed members of the House and the Senate on Tuesday amid congressional investigations into a military strike in September that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean. Lawmakers have been examining the Sept. 2 attack as they sift through the rationale for a broader U.S. military buildup in the region that increasingly appears pointed at Venezuela.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon will not publicly release unedited video of a strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean. Hegseth said that members of the Armed Services committees in the House and Senate would have an opportunity this week to review the video. But he did not say whether all members of Congress would be allowed to see it as well. President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members overseeing national security were on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to defend the swift escalation of U.S. military forces and deadly boat strikes in international waters near Venezuela.
