US airstrike survivors clung to boat wreckage for an hour before second deadly attack, video shows

US Military's Deadly Strike on Caribbean Boat Raises Grave Concerns of War Crimes

A harrowing video footage has emerged, showing two men who survived a US airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean clinging to the wreckage for an hour before being killed in a second attack. The distressing scene has sparked intense debate over the legality of the strike and raised concerns about potential war crimes.

Eyewitnesses claim that the survivors were shirtless, unarmed, and carried no visible radio or communications equipment, suggesting they had no means of escape or communication to call for help. Despite their desperate attempts to turn a severed section of the hull upright, they ultimately succumbed to their injuries.

The strike, which occurred on September 2, has raised questions about the military's decision-making process and the legality of taking lives without provocation. Adm Frank Bradley, who commanded the attack, told lawmakers that there was no order to kill everyone on board, but critics argue that this explanation is not sufficient.

Video footage shows the two survivors struggling to stay afloat, while the wreckage is reportedly being kept afloat due to cocaine inside. The military has claimed that the strike was necessary to prevent the boat from drifting long enough to be recovered by authorities. However, human rights experts and lawmakers have expressed concern over the killing of survivors who were already incapacitated.

"This is one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service," said Democratic congressman Jim Himes. "You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel."

The strike has sparked intense debate over the legality of such operations and whether they amount to war crimes. Many experts argue that the US military's actions violate international law, which prohibits attacks on incapacitated combatants or those attempting to escape.

As the controversy continues to unfold, lawmakers are demanding greater transparency and accountability from the Pentagon. The Trump administration has defended its claims, but critics argue that this justification is flawed.

The strike is part of a broader campaign by the US military to target suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. So far, at least 87 people have lost their lives in these operations.

US Military's actions are totally insane! Two guys clingin' to a wrecked boat for an hour & then gettin' slaughtered. How can you justify killin' people who ain't fightin'? The US should be held accountable for its actions, like, now

just saw that video of ppl gettin attacked by us military on boat in caribbean , it's like somethin outta a bad movie. two dudes survive initial airstrike but then they get killed again how can u kill people who r already dyin? sounds like war crimes to me this is just another reason why we need better gov oversight on our military actions

I mean, what's next? Killing people who are already trying to get help? Like, they're not even trying to escape, they just want to be rescued... but nope, the US military is all like "nah, we got this". And then they have the nerve to claim it was necessary to prevent the boat from drifting away? Give me a break! The fact that there were cocaine on board doesn't change anything. It's not like the survivors were just, like, random people who happened to be on the boat... They were human beings trying to survive. And what about all those others who aren't as lucky? Are they just going to get left behind too? The whole thing is just super messed up...

omg, i'm literally shook by dis news . like, how can u just kill ppl who r already dyin on da water? its so suspecious that dey had no radio or comms eqpt & didnt stand a chance of survivin. & what's w/ de military sayin dey were tryin 2 prevent da boat from gettin recovered by authorities? dat dont add up . i think it's clear dat dey were just shootin 4 show, & it's straight up war crime territory . i mean, even jim himes is like "this is one of the most troubling things ive seen in my time in public service"... thats a pretty strong statement

I've got some tea on this one... from what I'm hearing, it sounds like the US military was trying to make a point about taking down suspected smugglers, but they didn't exactly play by the book. The fact that those two guys were just trying to stay alive after getting hit and couldn't even turn their boat around is wild. And the whole thing with the cocaine inside making the wreckage float? That's some sketchy stuff right there.

I've talked to some people in the know, and it seems like this whole operation was a mess from the start. I mean, who authorizes an airstrike without making sure you've got survivors on board? It just doesn't add up. And now we're hearing that at least 87 people have lost their lives in these operations... that's some disturbing stuff.

I'm not saying they didn't do what they thought was necessary to stop a potential threat, but come on, did they really need to kill those two guys who were already dying? It just seems like a whole lot of overkill to me.

I'm seriously shook by this one... like literally, how can you justify killing ppl who are already dead? two guys barely hanging on for an hour before being finished off is insane. It's not just about the legality of it all, it's about basic human decency... like, what even happened to those poor dudes?

And don't even get me started on the whole "cocaine inside" thing... who cares?! They weren't doing any harm to anyone else, they were just trying to survive. And now we're talking war crimes and international law... this is all just so messed up .

I need more transparency from the Pentagon ASAP... like, what's really going on here? Are they just using these ops as an excuse to go around taking out people who are already helpless? It's time for some serious accountability.

OMG, I'm freaking out about this news ... I mean, what's up with the US military's actions? It seems so harsh and unforgiving. Those two guys on the boat were literally begging for help and still got killed . The idea that they should have just been able to float away after the strike is crazy talk. And what's with the whole "cocaine" thing, like that's some kind of valid reason to kill people? It just doesn't add up.

I'm all for taking down crime and smuggling operations, but not at the cost of innocent lives. This whole situation smells fishy to me . I hope Congress gets to the bottom of this and puts some pressure on the Pentagon to be more transparent about their actions. We need to know what's really going on here .

Man, this is super disturbing . I'm not surprised though, we've seen so many instances of the military getting away with stuff that's just plain wrong. It's like they think they're above the law or something. Newsflash: they're not . The fact that two people are left to die after being shot and then killed again by the US military is just heartbreaking .

I mean, come on, what do you even call this? A war crime, anyone? It's like the military is trying to cover their tracks, saying there was no order to kill everyone on board. But we all know that's not true . The video footage speaks for itself – those two guys were just trying to survive, and they got killed because of it.

It's time for some real answers here. What exactly happened during this strike? How did the military come to the conclusion that these two guys were a threat? And what's going on with all these people who have died in these operations? We need transparency and accountability from our leaders, not more spin and cover-ups .

This whole thing just stinks. Like what's the point of even having an airstrike if you're gonna kill two dudes who are already half-dead from the first blast? I mean, come on, you'd think that's a pretty clear indication they don't want to be killed anymore, right? And all this talk about international law and war crimes... it just feels like a bunch of empty words. What's gonna happen to these people who get caught up in the crossfire?

idk why ppl r makin such a big deal about dis its just another drone strike gone wrong lol but seriously tho... i think its kinda obvious that whoever gave the order knew the guys on dat boat were toast from the get go theyre like "oh no, ppl might be smuggling" and then they just go n blow the thing up w/o even trying 2 negotiate or check if ppl r ok its all about sending a message & showing who's boss imo

u gotta think about it like this... they were already on the boat when it got hit, so whats left for them to do? its not like they was just chillin on the boat waitin 4 a ride its war zone out there and ppl needs 2 take responsibility for their actions. military says one strike but the footage shows 2 dudes tryin 2 survive n still get taken out. thats some messed up stuff

OMG just saw this vid and I'm SHOOK how can you even do that to ppl? two guys surviving the strike then being killed in a second attack it's like they were just sitting ducks waiting for death. i don't think the military explanation is gonna cut it, bro... the fact that they were shirtless and unarmed and just floating there for an hour trying to stay alive is just sad . what's next? are we gonna start executing ppl who are already hurt? the US military needs to step up their game and be more transparent about these operations, or else this could get outta hand

The video footage of those two guys clinging to that wreckage for an hour before getting killed is just heartbreaking. I'm not buying the "we didn't mean to kill them" excuse. If you're gonna drop a bomb on a boat, at least give people a chance to get off first! It's all about accountability now, and if the Pentagon can't be transparent about their actions, that's just gonna fuel more outrage. 87 lives lost already? That's just crazy. And what about those 2 survivors who were left with no choice but to cling on for dear life? We need to have a serious conversation about war crimes and what it means to protect human rights in the face of "tactical operations".

I mean, come on! You're trying to kill some dudes who are already half-drowned, shirtless, and unarmed? That's like me trying to 'reorganize' my fridge by nuking it from space . Just saying, if they were 'smuggling' something, maybe just give them a ticket or something? I'm all for busting some bad guys, but no need to make a ' splashy' entrance... literally!

This whole thing is so messed up I mean, we're talking about two dudes who were already barely hanging on after being attacked by a plane and then they get killed again because the military didn't want to risk losing the cocaine they were carrying It's like, come on! The US military says it was necessary to prevent the boat from drifting into authorities' hands, but what if someone had just seen them from a distance? Wouldn't that have been better than killing them?! And the fact that it took an hour for someone to even find out about the survivors is wild

I also don't get why they're trying to spin this as a necessary evil, like some kind of war crime justification It's just not okay to kill people who are already hurt and can't do anything to help themselves. And now we've got Congress all up in arms demanding more transparency , which is about time too The fact that we're still debating what constitutes a "war crime" raises serious questions about the US military's accountability and respect for human life

I'm really worried about this situation. The footage of those two guys clinging to that boat for an hour before getting killed is just heartbreaking . It's not right that they were left to die like that. I mean, they weren't even armed or trying to cause any harm. They were just innocent people who got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And it's not just about them - it's also about the bigger picture here. If this kind of thing can happen under the US military's watch, what else might be happening that we don't know about? I think we need to see more transparency and accountability from our leaders, you know?

I'm no expert or anything, but it just seems like a lot of questions are being dodged here. Like, what exactly was the US military thinking when they decided to attack that boat? And if they're saying it was necessary to prevent some cocaine from getting out, then why didn't they try something else first? Just not buying the whole "we had to act fast" thing...

man, this is so messed up ! like, what even is the justification for targeting those guys? they were already dead or dying from the airstrike, no way to escape or call for help... it's just not right . and now we got all these questions about war crimes and stuff... how can you justify taking lives without any provocation? shouldn't our military be more concerned with saving lives than killing people who are already in a bad situation? . anyway, this is some really troubling news #JusticeForTheSurvivors #WarCrimes #AccountabilityNow

This whole situation is straight outta a scene from Black Hawk Down I mean, two guys are just trying to survive after getting hit by the airstrike and they're met with another wave of aggression? That's like something out of a bad action movie . And the fact that the military claims it was necessary to prevent the boat from drifting but still manages to kill the survivors who were already hurt? That's just messed up . I don't know about international law, but it seems like the US military is just making it up as they go along . We need some answers here and we need them now .

I'm really concerned about this whole thing... I mean, who does that? Two guys, shirtless, unarmed, trying to cling on for dear life, and then suddenly they're killed again. It's just so senseless. And what's with the claim that there was no order to kill everyone? That doesn't sit right with me. The military's got some serious explaining to do here. I've lived long enough to see my fair share of conflicts, but this one has all the makings of a war crime. We need to make sure our leaders are held accountable for their actions, and that we're protecting human rights, not just blowing things up willy-nilly. This is a dark day when we start questioning whether our military is following international law...