7:03Navy Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley arrives for a confidential briefing for leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding U.S. strikes on Venezuelan vessels believed to be involved in drug trafficking, on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 4, 2025.Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Adm. Mitch Bradley, who directed the military operation on September 2 against a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea, informed legislators on Wednesday that it might be feasible to release segments of a video depicting the deaths of two survivors without revealing classified information, as per three Democratic sources.
Bradley’s statements, made during a confidential briefing for members of the armed services committees of both the House and Senate, followed a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared he would not disclose the complete unedited video publicly or to the wider Congress, citing concerns that it could jeopardize sensitive military sources and methods.
"I would describe Bradley’s comments as recognizing the possibility that it could indeed be edited in a manner that would allow its release without disclosing any sensitive information," Rep. Adam Smith, the leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, conveyed to ABC News in a phone conversation.
Navy Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley arrives for a confidential briefing for leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding U.S. strikes on Venezuelan vessels believed to be involved in drug trafficking, on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 4, 2025.Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Smith indicated that Bradley expressed a concern at one point that a redacted video might lack critical context about the strike. However, Smith dismissed this assertion, emphasizing that Hegseth and President Donald Trump, who possess the authority to declassify materials, have already shared partial videos of two dozen boat strikes on their social media platforms.
"My conclusion is that there's no valid reason not to release the video of the second strike on September 2," Smith stated.
In a statement to ABC News, Col. Allie Weiskopf, a spokesperson for U.S. Special Operations Command, pointed out that Bradley did not have the authority to release the video and "never suggested" to lawmakers that he did.
President Trump announced on his social media platform, Sept. 2, 2025, that he ordered U.S. military forces to conduct “a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
"His response was that he would follow the Department’s guidance, but he mentioned that if the video were released as shown to lawmakers, it would endanger sources and methods," she explained. "It would also offer less detail than the currently classified video and would only provide a narrow perspective of the overall operational picture."
On Tuesday, Hegseth informed reporters on Capitol Hill that he wouldn't disclose the "full unedited" version because it was "top secret" and that releasing it would breach "longstanding Department of War policy." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether Hegseth would contemplate sharing an edited version of the video.
Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, stated he would "absolutely" advocate for releasing an edited video to all House members "if we can have it declassified to a level that does not compromise tactics, techniques, and procedures."
He did not specify whether he would endorse a public release.
Democrats asserted that Bradley clearly indicated in the meeting that the release of the video was achievable if Hegseth chose to proceed.
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Sourse: abcnews.go.com