US lawmakers are trying to pressure the Trump administration to release video of a controversial 'double-tap' military strike by limiting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget.
The incident on 2 September, in which the US carried out a second deadly strike on a boat in the Caribbean, has raised fresh questions about the legality of Trump's campaign targeting alleged drug-carrying vessels.
A provision buried in a lengthy defence spending policy would restrict travel funds for Hegseth's office until the Pentagon hands over unedited footage. The bill is expected to pass with support from both parties.
US President Donald Trump says the release of the video is something for Hegseth to decide.
Trump denied that he had previously said he would have 'no problem' with the footage being made public - despite that comment being made on camera as recently as Wednesday.
The threat from Congress to withhold money from Hegseth's travel budget has emerged amid a clamour for information from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
It is buried within a 3,000-page draft bill that is focused on approving next year's defence spending. The annual bill authorises nearly $901bn in funding.
The bill's final wording states that Hegseth's office may spend no more than three-quarters of the funds made available for travel for the year 2026 until it meets certain requirements, including an obligation to provide unedited video of strikes against designated terrorist organizations in the US Southern Command's area of responsibility.
The wording nods to the way Trump has characterised his strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. He says they target designated terrorist organisations.
In his comments to reporters, Trump said each of the alleged drug boats sunk had saved 25,000 American lives and claimed that drug trafficking to the US by sea had all but stopped.
His administration has justified its actions by saying it is in a non-international armed conflict with the alleged traffickers. However, numerous deaths have resulted from the months-long campaign, and the administration has not publicly provided evidence for its allegations of criminality in every case.
Experts raised legal questions about the strikes, drawing concern from both Republicans and Democrats alike.
Regarding the 'double-tap' attack on 2 September specifically, experts point out that the laws of war oblige parties in an armed conflict to pick up wounded survivors rather than strike again.
The White House maintains that the second strike was ordered by a navy admiral rather than by Hegseth. Congressional leaders who viewed the video in a briefing last week had mixed reactions, with some finding it troubling and others defending its legality.
Despite initial comments suggesting willingness to release video, Trump's stance shifted, indicating it was Hegseth's decision, while Hegseth himself remained noncommittal.
