US Navy Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley arrives for a classified briefing for leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on US strikes against Venezuelan boats suspected of smuggling drugs, on Capitol Hill on December 4, 2025. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

“Any American who sees the video that I saw will see the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors — bad guys, bad guys, but attacking s

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