Navy SEAL Operation in North Korea Botched by 'Treasonous' Leak: GOP Rep

Former Navy SEAL officer and Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke blasted the leak of a failed SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea, calling the disclosure “deeply disturbing” and “treasonous.”

The New York Times on Friday published a detailed report alleging that a 2019 SEAL Team 6 Red Squadron operation intended to plant an electronic surveillance device inside North Korea went awry. CNN’s Jake Tapper pressed Zinke for his reaction, noting that Congress was reportedly never briefed before or after the mission.

“Deeply, deeply disturbing. World War II, loose lips sink ships. To disclose this type of operation, the leak had to come from somewhere. The details are too great,” Zinke said on The Lead with Jake Tapper. “So this is treasonous to disclose because what it does is that there’s no doubt been multiple operations since then, and there probably will be.”

Zinke warned that exposing classified operations puts America’s warfighters in grave danger.
“When you disclose details of an operation like this, it puts at risk every SEAL, every warrior, every special operations, every soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine on future operations. It incurs greater risk,” he said. “I think it was irresponsible for [The] New York Times to publish such an article. And what I’m hoping is, is they go back to the source, and they find the source, and they prosecute it.”

According to the Times, the mission aimed to install an electronic device that would allow U.S. intelligence to intercept communications from North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The report claimed that after months of preparation, the team encountered a North Korean boat upon reaching shore, prompting a firefight that left those on board dead.

The paper also alleged that due to the risks, President Donald Trump himself would have had to authorize the operation. Trump, however, denied knowledge of the mission during a press briefing Friday.
“I don’t know anything about it, no. I’d have to — I could look, but I know nothing about that,” Trump said.

The alleged operation occurred in the aftermath of the February 2019 Hanoi summit, where Trump walked away from a deal after Kim demanded sanctions relief in exchange for only partial denuclearization. The breakdown highlighted Trump’s willingness to stand firm rather than give concessions to an untrustworthy regime. Just months later, Trump made history as the first sitting U.S. president to step foot inside North Korea during a direct meeting with Kim at the DMZ.

Zinke’s remarks underscore the broader concern that politically motivated leaks and media recklessness are undermining U.S. national security and endangering the very warriors who defend it.