Hegseth and Rubio are expected back on Capitol Hill as questions mount over boat strikes
December 16, 2025
President Donald Trump’s top Cabinet officials overseeing national security are headed back to Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others are set to talk to lawmakers Tuesday. The officials will brief members of the House and the Senate 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 attack as they question the purpose of the U.S. military buildup in the region. The U.S. has flown fighter jets near Venezuelan airspace and seized an oil tanker as part of its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.