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Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty in Federal Court, Admits Shooting CEO; Interview with Keith Ellison, (D) Minnesota Attorney General: DHS Secretly Targeted Groups Protesting ICE Crackdown. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 14, 2026 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: ... Cezanne and Matisse. The three paintings are valued at more than ten million dollars. Authorities reportedly discovered them while executing a search. Several people have also been detained for their possible role.

Ahead, Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges and the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. What's next in the case right after this?

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[15:35:00]

ABEL: Just moments ago, federal court officials releasing the full transcript of today's hearing where Luigi Mangione entered a guilty plea. Here's part of what he told a federal judge earlier. Quote, "My travel to New York and e-mail to UnitedHealthcare was with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson." Later admitting, "When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal."

We're joined now by Lisa Bonner. She is an attorney and former litigator. And Lisa, this is a distinction here. This wasn't a negotiated plea agreement. Why does that matter?

LISA BONNER, ATTORNEY AND FORMER LITIGATOR: That's a great question. And good afternoon, Brian. This was what we call an open plea or a blind plea.

And why this matters is because the prosecution went into this without having any discussions with the defense about what there would be in terms of the outcome, in terms of the sentencing. They wanted to get on the record what the charges were, what he was -- what Mangione was pleading guilty to, and that he knew what he was doing was illegal. So they got him to admit to all of that, which was very important, with no assurances of any type of reduced sentence or any type of leniency by the judge.

ABEL: So basically, he could still face the maximum penalty as if he went through the entire trial process. What could this mean for the state case? BONNER: Well, the state has already challenged this in terms of filing a double jeopardy claim, which we knew that this was going to happen, right? We knew that the federal defense was going to automatically try to invoke the double jeopardy law under the New York state statute. And that is exactly what has happened in this.

We have a trial that is coming up on September 8th, which is in three weeks or so. And so they wanted to really get ahead of this. So the defense has already filed this, and that means that we have to speed this up to make sure that we can get this information in, and they can have a hearing which would determine whether or not double jeopardy would attach here.

And why does this matter? Because under the federal laws and the constitution, we have a dual sovereignty, which means you can be tried for two crimes. But under New York state, that we have a double jeopardy law, which does not have that loophole, but specifically provides that if the crimes result from the same action that double jeopardy attaches.

But that's not necessarily a slam dunk here for either side. It's going to be a highly litigated issue and hearing that we expect that we can expect to see with respect to this.

ABEL: Well, considering all of that and the fact that this plea wasn't a negotiated one, what do you suppose the strategy is for Mangione's defense team? Was it to choose the penalty for the federal crimes versus the state crimes?

BONNER: Well, what they're trying to do is get ahead of the state case because with the federal case, I would, there is an issue where they are trying to -- they cannot be charged for murder. So excuse me, they cannot, he cannot be charged for the death -- with the death penalty under the federal case. So that's already off the table.

And in this instance, you have a couple of issues that they are trying to -- that they're trying to get ahead of. They're trying to get ahead of whether or not that he can use the fact that he talked about his back pain as mitigating circumstances in terms of the sentencing in the federal case. But in the state case, you have a lot of different issues which would attach here, and which would make the sentencing potentially harsher.

And you would also want to have a choice, any prosecutor -- excuse me, any defense would rather have their client in a federal prison than a state prison -- in a state penitentiary in New York. So there's a lot going on here and a lot to untangle in terms of what this would lead to in terms of any type of reduced sentence or any type of appeal -- excuse me, any type of getting out of the state case. So getting that off the table.

ABEL: And Lisa, I'm sure there's a lot to untangle here for the federal judge that is making the sentencing decision. What factors are they weighing in?

BONNER: Well, he's going -- excuse me, she's going to look at the severity of the crime. She can also take under consideration victim impact statements. She may also take under consideration any other mitigating circumstances that Mangione may have.

But the judge has wide discretion here. There was, as we talked about before, there was no pre-negotiated leniency or any kind of conditions surrounding this. So it's almost looking into a crystal ball to try and determine what she will consider.

[15:40:00]

But she has wide latitude in determining what type of sentence to impose. He can get up to life in prison for this, or he could get, you know, 20 to 34 years, which people are speculating. We just don't know.

We do know that in December, we will find out what his sentence is under the federal statute. And we will see what the judge takes under consideration. There's so many variables here, and he already opened with the fact that he has severe back pain.

So we do know that they are going to argue those are mitigating circumstances on his behalf.

ABEL: All right. Lisa Bonner, thank you for sharing your expertise with us.

BONNER: Thank you for having me.

ABEL: Coming up, court documents reveal federal agents launched a sweeping undercover surveillance operation. Who they were watching next.

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[15:45:00]

ABEL: A federal prosecutor says tests confirm a white substance found inside the van of a Houston man who was shot and killed by ICE agents was not methamphetamine. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed more than a month ago when ICE agents in unmarked cars chased his work van, then shot him through the window.

The prosecutor did not say what that substance was, but Lorenzo's family says it was an electrolyte mix that Salgado Araujo and his crew used to stay hydrated in the grueling Texas heat. The FBI executed a search warrant on the van shortly after the shooting. Alleging officers saw several small bags inside that appeared to be meth.

The ACLU of Texas says the FBI search was part of an attempt to create a false narrative -- Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Some newly revealed court documents say that federal agents launched a sweeping and secretive surveillance operation during President Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year. They say the operation, called Operation Puppet Master, targeted progressive organizations, labor unions and other groups protesting the crackdown. According to the documents, undercover DHS officers infiltrated the group's meetings, which often were held in churches, schools, libraries and parks.

They also allegedly gathered license plate numbers of those who attended and monitored activist chat rooms and group chats. One slide created by DHS titled "The Conspiracy" shows 18 organizations from a small Minneapolis bicycle repair collective to the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor groups in the United States. In a statement from DHS, it says Homeland Security Investigations doesn't comment on the existence or status of ongoing investigations or investigative methods.

Let's discuss with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Sir, thank you so much for being with us. So prosecutors named 18 groups as part of a conspiracy.

They wound up charging 15 people with impeding the immigration crackdown in your state, some of them with connections to those organizations. If prosecutors are able to secure convictions on those, would that result justify this kind of surveillance?

KEITH ELLISON, (D) MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The answer is no, but we still live in a country that presumes innocent until proven guilty. So I do not assume for a moment that they'll secure those convictions. But the bottom line is even if they do, it doesn't matter.

What we see is a broad-based violation of First Amendment rights, shilling of expressive association, retaliatory surveillance from a protected free speech. It's wrong. Also, potential Fourth Amendment violations, warrantless infiltration of private meetings, signal chats, financial records.

There's the Minnesota Constitution to consider, which protects the right to freedom of speech and assembly, things like this. We're already, the state of Minnesota is already suing DHS for Operation Metro Surge and the whole host of violations that are connected to it. This thing, this Operation Puppet Master and then the related one about Whipple Shield are very concerning and are consistent with the wrongdoing we saw in connection with that very terrible time in Minnesota that was delivered at the hands of the federal government.

SANCHEZ: Sure. It sounds like you think these operations were illegal. I wonder if your office is going to --

ELLISON: Potentially, I haven't cut. Potentially, yes. And I don't have any announcements to make about whether we'll amend our complaint.

I will tell you that, you know, I've been a lawyer for 36 years and I've been thinking about this problem for a while and it's on my mind. I'll put it like that.

SANCHEZ: Interesting. Is there a sequence of events? Is your office going to launch an investigation of this and then potentially file suit or amend the suit that's already out there? ELLISON: Well, again, I don't want to make any announcements right now. We're a little premature for that, but we are very concerned about it, and we are talking about what our rights are. You can bet that's true.

SANCHEZ: So the 15 indictments include charges of stalking federal agents, as well as throwing large blocks of ice at their vehicles. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Daniel Rosen, declined to say whether any federal agents were actually injured. How do you respond to the argument that this kind of work is necessary to protect law enforcement?

ELLISON: Let me say, I don't have any opinions about the strength of the evidence in those ongoing cases. I will say that people are innocent until proven guilty and presumed to be innocent. I'll leave it there.

What I will say is what the federal government did to Minnesota between December 3rd, 2025, and February 12th, 2026, was wrong, was morally wrong. We believe violated several provisions and we're suing the federal government for it.

[15:50:00]

It was completely unnecessary and, you know, they targeted us because of apparently immigration, but Minnesota doesn't even have -- we're not even the top half of destinations for immigrants. I mean, they said it was about fraud, but they didn't search forensic accountants. They sent men with guns who in fact did kill Minnesotans.

And we'll never forget about Alex Pretti and Renee Good. What the government did, what the federal government did was oppress a state because we voted against Trump. That's what he said.

And because he believes he won Minnesota in an election, he didn't, but that's his motivation. And that's what it was about. It was wrong.

It was morally repugnant and wrong. And we're going to hold them accountable in the court. And I'm not surprised that as the days go by, we're hearing about Operation Puppet Master and Operation Whipple Shield.

I think that before this thing is over, we'll learn a lot more that is probably deeply concerning from a democracy point of view and a human rights point of view.

SANCHEZ: Do you trust the Minnesota U.S. attorney? What is your message to Daniel Rosen?

ELLISON: I wish Daniel Rosen all the best. I've had occasion to, you know, work with him cooperatively. I do hope that we can continue to get the evidence we need to continue and complete our investigation into Alex Pretti and Renee Good matters.

We have not received all the information we're looking for there. We hope to achieve it. But as far as I know, I don't have any comment other than to say that we hope to continue to work cooperatively.

I can tell you this. Before the Trump administration, we had a seamless, easy relationship between our federal partners and state authorities. We worked together all the time, whether it's on sex trafficking, international interstate scams.

We worked with them. This was not at all a problem. Suddenly, the Trump administration comes in, launches Operation Metro Surge, and everything gets way harder.

SANCHEZ: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate your time.

ELLISON: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course. When we come back, how a CNN hero and former inmate is helping countless women rebuild their lives after prison.

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ABEL: More than one third of women released from prison every year end up back behind bars within five years. CNN hero Susan Burton was caught in this cycle.

SANCHEZ: She finally managed to break it, and she decided to pay it forward, establishing A New Way of Life, a non-profit that helps women rebuild their lives after prison.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN BURTON, 2010 CNN HERO: I was in a revolving door of incarceration. I would walk out the gate, and I would end up going back to prison over and over again. Finally, I found help and that led me to a different path.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): For almost three decades, Susan Burton and her non-profit have helped women rebuild their lives after prison.

BURTON: At A New Way of Life, we provide a house. We treat people with dignity, respect, and we shower them with resources. And that makes a difference.

We have a 94 percent success rate.

COOPER (voice-over): After she was honored as a CNN hero in 2010, Susan expanded her organization from five homes in California to 12. She also wrote her autobiography and shared her story with women in dozens of prisons.

BURTON: And those women stood up with tears in their eyes saying, we don't have anywhere to go after incarceration. So I created SAFE to train other women on A New Way of Life's model. Ninety percent of the people who are replicating our model are formerly incarcerated. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She literally gives you all the tools you need to hit the ground running. Also, she gives everybody a $50,000 grant.

BURTON: I like the house. It's a hand up for people to dream again, to live again, and to thrive.

COOPER (voice-over): The SAFE Housing Network has grown to more than 30 partners and housed more than 2,000 people. Susan and A New Way of Life have also expanded their mission, opening homes in New Orleans and North Carolina. They plan to build a campus in Los Angeles.

BURTON: We have just touched a fraction of the people that need a second chance at life. You plant a seed and it gets watered and it grows.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: So a little birdies told us the NBA schedule has been released, and the Atlanta Hawks have taken it to a whole other level there now.

ABEL: See what you did there. Enter 12-year-old Samuel Henderson. He went viral earlier this year for his avian impressions.

So the Hawks let him wing it to showcase their schedule.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMUEL HENDERSON: The Rock Pigeon. Bald Eagle. American Crow.

Well, thanks for watching. Go Hawks!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That kid is impressive. That video of him doing it at, I guess, a show-and-tell or pep rally at school went viral. Got a ton of followers out of it.

It was honestly special. I've never seen anything like that.

ABEL: That's incredible. And also the props that he had all the birds.

SANCHEZ: Can you do any avian impressions?

ABEL: Absolutely not. And nobody would want to hear it anyway. How about you?

SANCHEZ: Maybe the seagull. Mine.

Mine, mine, mine.

ABEL: OK, OK, OK. There you go. There you go. OK. OK, that's fair. That works.

SANCHEZ: We got like 10 seconds to fill. We'll leave it at that. Brian, it was great to have you here. Thank you so much for joining us. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

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