Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Thursday that he is "deeply" troubled by the Pentagon`s double-tap strikes on suspected drug runners in the Caribbean, saying it`s clear U.S. forces targeted survivors who posed no threat to American security.

Himes was among the handful of lawmakers who were briefed Thursday by Navy Adm. Frank Bradley, the commander of the Sept. 2 mission, in a secure location on Capitol Hill. He said the lawmakers were shown video footage of the operation.

"I reviewed the video, and it`s deeply, deeply troubling," Himes said. "The fact is that we killed two people who were in deep distress and had neither the means nor obviously the intent to continue their mission."

The controversy surrounding the Sept. 2 strikes has captivated Capitol Hill since The Washington Post first reported details of the operation last week. According to the Post report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered his subordinates to "kill everybody" aboard the boat. When two survivors were detected clinging to the shattered vessel, Bradley ordered another strike in order to comply with Hegseth`s directions, the Post reported.

Himes, however, said Bradley had challenged that account in his briefing with the Intelligence Committee leaders.

"The admiral confirmed that there had not been a ‘kill them all` order, and that there was not an order to grant ‘no quarter,`" Himes said. He declined to provide further details.

Leaving the meeting with the top lawmakers on the Intelligence Committee, Bradley declined comment.

He is also meeting separately with the bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees.