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Trump Says Russia, Ukraine Agree To Energy Ceasefire; Interview With Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY); Trump, Zelenskyy At Odds Over Controversial Russian Diesel Deal; Bernie Sanders Stumps For Troy Jackson In Maine This Weekend; ICE Agents In Another High-Profile Incident In Houston Following ICE Shooting In New York, Texas And Maine; Kalshi Looking Into Bets On White House Press Secretary Pick. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 11, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I just have to note, Jessica, how unusual it is to have something like a tropical storm warning in this part of the world, in the southwest of the United States. It is only the second time that San Diego has gotten one of us. The first one was just three years ago with Tropical Storm Hilary. We saw how that went.
So we're hoping that this is -- the worst is over and that those pictures, those dramatic pictures of those coastal properties, getting those big waves, that this is now going down and going back to a more normal level on the Pacific Ocean.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Julia Vargas Jones and Melissa Nord, our thanks to both of you for this.
A new hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.
President Trump announcing a new energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, appearing to catch Ukraine off guard. Trump posting today, quote, "Effective immediately, there is an energy ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it."
But there's been no confirmation yet of such an agreement from Moscow. And a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the development was a surprise to him. Zelenskyy posting that while Ukraine supports a ceasefire, he is awaiting details from the American side.
This, as President Trump also considering whether to involve the United States in the fight between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels after a second strike on Saudi's main airport today. Take a look at this video. It is from Saturday. That's when a Houthi missile strike killed at least 12 people, including an American, there at the airport, wounding over 300 people in Saudi Arabia's deadliest attack in more than a decade.
Let's bring in CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein.
Betsy, a lot on the president's plate this Sunday evening. What are we hearing from the president?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica, the fact that Russia continued to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure makes it very clear that there is reason for skepticism about this so- called energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. And President Trump claimed this morning in that post to social media that both sides had agreed to this and that it was going to take effect immediately.
Since then, confusion. We heard from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine suggesting that this announcement came as a surprise. And another Ukrainian official says that Ukraine found out about this from the president's social media post. Zelenskyy also says that Ukraine supports a ceasefire and that they are awaiting details on this from the American side. Meanwhile, no word yet from the Kremlin on whether they have also agreed to this. But if you're tracking their actions, there is no energy ceasefire at this time.
Now, I asked the White House if they could provide any more details on how this came together and what the next steps might be after the president's social media post, they referred me right back to that post. So still a lot of questions there. But there is some important context, and that is that on Friday, President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two of them unveiled what has proven to be a very controversial deal for Russia to supply markets with Russian diesel fuel.
Now, Trump officials subsequently met with Ukrainian officials in Miami to talk about next steps for a potential deal here. But Zelenskyy had criticized that diesel news, saying that that would potentially prolong the war. Now, the deal has also drawn bipartisan criticism from a new group of seven senators, four Republicans and three Democrats who are criticizing that deal. But all of that very likely to come up on Tuesday when President Trump says that his brand new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is going to brief reporters in the briefing room at 9:30 a.m. -- Jessica.
DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein from the White House with the latest on a number of threats. Thank you so much.
And we're joined now by Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis of New York. She serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is the House Republican Conference assistant whip.
Congresswoman, thanks so much for your time on this Sunday. We appreciate you being here with us. I want to ask you first about the fact that Congress has passed these two laws prohibiting the import of Russian energy products, including diesel. That first one in 2022 after Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, and then the second just last month. You voted in favor of both of those bills.
Do you think President Trump is contradicting those laws in this deal with Russia?
REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): Look, I think we have to see if it's going to pass legal muster. I don't believe that the Treasury has the ability to just wave a wand and say that they can import this diesel. What I think is the part of the deal releasing the global -- releasing it to the global supply is one thing. If he's urging Russia to release more diesel into the global market to try to drive down costs, which is incredibly important to our farmers and to the American people, because as we know, everything is shipped in this country on rail or on truck and trucks require diesel, then that's one thing.
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But the importation, I do believe, could be a violation of these laws. And so that's the one question I think that everyone is raising, but we don't really have information. I mean, the thing is, this was something that was announced. Members of Congress have not been briefed. I think that's part of the frustration of not knowing exactly what this deal entails. So when we find out more information, we'll know.
But it seems clear the president here is hyper focused on reducing these prices, reducing consumer prices, reducing food prices, making it easier for farmers to provide goods across the country. And that is a positive thing. We just need to see how exactly this is going to translate, considering that, you know, Russia has had an export ban, and I think lifting that ban is a good thing for the global markets and will drive down prices. But we really need to see how long that will take and what this means in translation.
DEAN: Yes. And there's just this -- the question, because I think everyone can certainly appreciate what you're saying. Anyone that goes to the gas pump or, and needs diesel to get through a work day certainly has very much taken note that those prices are higher and would love some relief. But I do think that a lot of people are questioning, is this the way to get it by, you know, there's just been so much economic pressure on Russia trying to get a ceasefire deal in their war on Ukraine?
Again, you voting for those two laws prohibiting the import of these Russian energy projects -- products that the question is why do this this way? Maybe why aren't we talking with Canada, for instance?
MALLIOTAKIS: Yes. Well, and first of all, as was mentioned earlier in the program, there is also that discussion of the energy infrastructure. So is that part of this negotiation? These are the details that we're waiting for. Because perhaps this release has to do with a ceasefire that may come with regards to the energy infrastructure. And that would mean I think -- that would be very good for all parties.
Ukraine would benefit going into the winter months as well if their energy infrastructure is not under attack. So I think the real question is, we can't comment on just a Twitter or a Signal, whatever it is that he uses. You know? Social media post.
DEAN: Trump -- Truth Social. Yes.
MALLIOTAKIS: We need to know the details. And I think that's what members of Congress and quite frankly, it seems like our friends in Ukraine are also asking for those specific details.
DEAN: Yes, yes, they are. I spoke with a lawmaker who said that very thing and was deeply concerned because there have been strikes in Ukraine on energy infrastructure as recent as today. So they have certainly a lot of questions about that as well. One of your Republican colleagues in the House, Congressman Fitzpatrick has said he's going to introduce bipartisan legislation to block any and all purchases of Russian oil. Is this something you would support?
MALLIOTAKIS: Well, look, I want to get -- I want to get the facts first. I can't just decide. I haven't even seen what this bill is. I think we need to have a real discussion. Is the priority right now to drive down costs for Americans. I think that probably is the number one priority. And is this release of diesel going to have some type of effect on this war? Is there going to be some type of ceasefire that is part of this agreement?
I think those are real, valid questions that members of Congress have. I mean, you know, we need to know exactly what to expect here. I think -- I think oftentimes we hear here that there is a deal on the table. We've seen this with Canada. We've seen it with Russia and Ukraine, and we've also seen it with Iran. And then those deals never really come to fruition, which I think has been frustrating.
Just when we think we see the light here, these things fall apart. And oftentimes it is because we're dealing with some, you know, rogue actors here. I mean, can we trust Putin? Can you trust Iran? I mean, these are real valid questions I think people have. Now, obviously, any piece of legislation is not going to take effect for another month. And it seems that this -- these imports could be imminent based on if he's trying to do this in October, is what I understand the first release would be.
DEAN: And I hear you on needing facts and information. And I know that you said that that's where some of the frustration is, is that we don't have all of those right now. But you do look to the president to be the one communicating all of this, that he's the one putting the information out, and yet he isn't providing any of that information, any of those details to you and other members of Congress. But also it appears, based on our interviews and reporting with the Ukrainians as well. We don't know about Russia. Does that concern you?
MALLIOTAKIS: Sure it does. I mean, we need to be briefed on a regular basis on what exactly is happening with all these different issues around the world. And oftentimes we have to just reach out and ask those questions and get that information. But there should be more of an ongoing dialogue with the different branch.
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I mean, obviously the Congress did pass those laws. We have questions for him to make a deal and not notify Congress I think is the real thing that is bothering many of the members that have spoken out today. I think at the end of the day, we all want to see prices come down. We all want to see the energy infrastructure in both Ukraine and Russia not being attacked because it does have that global market impact.
But, you know, without having more information, it's hard to say whether this deal is a good deal or a bad deal, or if there even is a real deal. And that's I think what we're waiting for going forward.
DEAN: And I wonder to your thoughts on just the idea of a deal right now and this diesel deal. I think some people would say, and I think a generous view of this is trying to get the prices down. This would help get diesel prices down. I think another way of looking at this, more critical way of looking at this is we are three weeks out from the midterm. Prices, especially of diesel, are driving a lot of dissatisfaction with President Trump and Republicans.
And this is politically motivated and benefiting Russia and undercutting Ukraine, who we've, you know, as a country the U.S. has been supporting Ukraine. What do you say to how that -- to that framing of it?
MALLIOTAKIS: Well, look, the U.S. has been supporting Ukraine, but the president has also asked Ukraine to not be attacking this infrastructure because of the impact it would have on the global market. And, you know, that in itself has been, I think, problematic. That is a core reason why prices have skyrocketed.
Now, this war has been going on for years. I mean, remember when this war first started, gas prices were also $5 under President Joe Biden. And so I think the president is doing the best he can to make the best situation possible. But that people should appreciate that he is focused on trying to drive down these prices to make America more affordable. He has always been very conscious of energy costs, and that's why we in the House also have passed numerous pieces of legislation that would help drive down costs and also help produce more American energy.
Sadly, those pieces got stuck in the Senate. But the reality is, is that something needs to be done here. And if the immediate relief is what the American people want, I think he's actually listening to the American people and saying that we need to do more to drive down this -- these prices. And that's exactly what he's responding to. I don't think it's politically motivated. I think he's actually listening to the American people and understanding the frustrations that people have, whether they're consumers or whether the farmers or other producers that are important to this economy.
DEAN: Yes. I just -- yes. And they've been saying this for a while, though, and we just happen to be at this moment in -- the timing is interesting. I do want to ask you, before I let you go, though, about the situation in Saudi Arabia. As we noted at the top of our show, one American among the 12 killed in that Houthi strike on the airport there. Hundreds more wounded. Saudi-led forces are vowing retaliation.
And I'm curious if you think, knowing where we are in the war with Iran, do you think it's appropriate for the U.S. to be involved in any sort of retaliation on that particular strike and what's going on there in Saudi Arabia?
MALLIOTAKIS: Well, look, we don't want to see an expansion of this conflict. I think at the end of the day, it all traces back to one thing, and that is Iran. And that is why there is so much focus right now on stopping Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon because they would use it. This is a country, a regime that has killed American citizens. They've attacked our military bases. They've threatened to commit terrorist activity on our own soil. They've threatened to assassinate our president and members of the first family.
That is why we are so hyper focused on eradicating that threat. They are the ones who are sponsoring all these terrorist organizations in the region, whether it's the Houthis or whether it's Hezbollah, whether it's Hamas. And that is why the focus needs to be there. And I don't think that an expansion would be good. Let's focus at the source. The number one state sponsor of terrorism, and that is the Iranian regime.
DEAN: All right. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, always great to have you. Thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
MALLIOTAKIS: Thank you.
DEAN: And be sure to tune in to a special edition of "NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP," "Midterms 2026 Countdown to Election Night." That is tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and streaming on the CNN app with an "All Access" subscription.
Will that controversial diesel deal help lower diesel prices? We were just talking about this. We're going to talk to an energy expert about the nuts and bolts of that when we come back. Plus, a new incident involving ICE as officials say a man is injured while fleeing agents. And President Trump's decision to choose Katie Zacharia as the next White House press secretary made some people some money.
[18:15:06]
Now the prediction platform Kalshi is investigating these long-shot bets on who he would name.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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DEAN: Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is starting to rebound after Hurricane Isaias forced widespread shutdowns and evacuations.
[18:20:03]
As of this afternoon, about 58 percent of that oil production is still offline. Now that's down from a peak of 72 percent Friday. To keep the storm from driving energy prices even higher, the Energy Department is allowing the release of up to four million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Higher gas prices the last thing anyone wants to see right now, and
the record high diesel prices can make nearly anything carried by a semi-truck even more expensive. And there are a lot of questions about if the president's possible deal with Russia will ease those costs.
Let's talk to -- let's talk to Tom Kloza. He's the chief energy advisor for Gulf Oil.
And Tom, thank you so much for being here with us. I want to get in on your expertise here and what you see happening to U.S. diesel prices if indeed this deal does come to fruition.
TOM KLOZA, CHIEF ENERGY ADVISER, GULF OIL: Well, I think it's commendable that there's a lot of focus on it because we saw this coming in the summer and there was really not much mention of anything. But I also think that this is kind of a hail Mary, you know, to use a football analogy, to try to get a truce between Ukraine and Russia.
You know, the fact is Ukraine has knocked out about three million barrels a day of Russian production and any ceasefires we've seen this year, whether it's been in the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea or in Ukraine and Russia, have been the least ceasefire -- ceasefires that I've seen in my career. So it's a long, long chore. And I don't think that in and of itself, it's going to bring stability to the market.
DEAN: And so help us understand why that is because I think to an outsider, you think, OK, if there -- put the politics aside for a second, just talk through the logistics of it. If there is more of the product being released, how does that work? And do they even, to your earlier point, is Russia even capable of producing enough to export at this point?
KLOZA: That is the problem, Jessica. Russia has about six million barrels a day of refining compared to the United States (INAUDIBLE). And they -- probably 45 percent or 55 percent of capacity, mostly because every day or every two days, drone strike refineries in Russia. So they are not able to, you know, not only have they suspended exports, they had to import gasoline. So there's a real question.
And, you know, if you study Russian history, you know that the leaders of that country have the propensity to put their people through terrible pain and terrible poverty. So you wonder, this promise of actually putting some more diesel on the market, if it's very, very hollow. It would be very difficult for them to meet domestic demands, let alone to send something to the United States. And the last time we saw Russian exports of diesel to the U.S., it was 3,000 or 70,000 barrels a day, almost meaningless.
DEAN: And in terms of volume and how that might correspond with driving prices down, is that kind of pie in the sky stuff or is that realistic?
KLOZA: I think it's pie in the sky right now. I mean, they talk about a million barrels or excuse me, a million metric tons of oil, which is about seven and a half million barrels of diesel. But again, it doesn't seem as though Russia has the ability to supply their own needs in their own country. So, you know, whether or not they would bypass Europe and send product to the United States, that seems like that's a real, real long-shot.
And don't get me wrong, if they have a truce, if there was a real lasting truce between Ukraine and Russia, Russia would probably regain the ability to not just balance their supplies, but send a little bit to South America or to the United States as well. But it doesn't look like a formidable possibility under the circumstances.
DEAN: And we hear questions, too, about why not go to Canada on this? Is that a realistic possibility? Is that a realistic option?
KLOZA: I'm not sure what they're talking about, would go to Canada. I mean, Canada is a wonderful supplier of crude oil, but they don't exactly have a lot of diesel to spend, you know, to sort of share with the rest of the world. The reality is, is that the United States is the big kahuna in terms of diesel supply. We exported over 1.7 million barrels a day last week.
Now, a diesel export ban looks like it's not going to be possible. But don't be surprised in the next few weeks, if you start to hear windfall profits because refiners right now are making about $100 to $110 a barrel on diesel, and that is probably four or five times the normal amount.
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They're not doing anything wrong. But, you know, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw some sort of effort to cut into that and maybe less supply with the world.
DEAN: All right. Tom Kloza, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it.
KLOZA: Thanks for having me.
DEAN: Control of the Senate could come down to a few thousand votes in critical races in states like Maine. We're going to go live there next, as Democrats are looking to rally support ahead of that race.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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DEAN: Senator Bernie Sanders is in Maine this weekend, stumping for the state's Democratic Senate nominee, Troy Jackson. Jackson is running against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in what is so far a very, very close race in the recent polls. Sanders was in Bangor on Saturday and is holding two more rallies today.
Let's go to CNN's Arlette Saenz, who is there in Maine. Arlette, you have been. You're at one of the rallies right now. You've
been to other ones. What are you hearing from voters there? What are you seeing as you're in Maine?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, Senator Bernie Sanders has had to hold his final rally of his swing through Maine here as he is trying to boost the Democratic candidate, Troy Jackson, in this race.
Sanders is really a key motivator for many of the Democratic base here in the state of Maine. But there are real questions about whether he would appeal to moderate and independents that Jackson needs to win over in this state.
I asked Jackson that question just a short while ago, and he said that he does believe that Sanders can help drive up the vote across the state, with both Democrats and those moderates and independents.
Now, it comes as Sanders had really been a strong backer of the former Democratic candidate in the state, Graham Platner, who had to bow out of this race after allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied. But now Sanders is here to try to get those former Platner supporters who might have been disillusioned with the way that this process turned out, to come out and vote in November for Jackson.
And last night, as he spoke at a rally in Bangor, Sanders really laid out what he believes the stakes are of this race. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Now, I know that there are people in Maine who like Susan Collins. That's fine. There are many people in Maine who may have a disagreement with Troy on this or that issue. That's fine. But if you want to hold Donald Trump and his disastrous policies accountable, the only way we do that is by electing a Democratic Senate and this election here in Maine could mean all of the difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now, Sanders is also facing a test in this campaign, as he is hoping that the progressive candidates that he's backed here in Maine and also over in Michigan with Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate there, that they can win in their state, perhaps offering a message about the direction of the Democratic Party.
But right here in Maine, this is a very close contest between Troy Jackson and the incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. Recent polling has shown that there is no clear leader in this race, and this state does have a little bit of an independent streak. Back in 2020, they did vote for President Biden in that election, but they reelected Senator Susan Collins. She is the only Republican who is running in a state that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024, up against President Trump.
So that kind of highlights the dynamics here in this race and what is keeping this contest so competitive.
DEAN: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much. Reporting live there from Maine.
Meantime, ICE agents involved in more high profile incidents. We're going to talk to the former acting director of ICE, John Sandweg, about the latest.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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DEAN: Ice agents are facing questions after an incident involving a man whose attorney says he had now has two broken legs. That man was hit by a vehicle driven by federal agents. Officials saying that that happened during an ICE enforcement operation near Houston yesterday.
The incident was caught on camera. We do want to warn you, some of that footage we're about to show you is graphic. That footage appears to show two men jumping out of a white pickup truck and running away as a black vehicle accelerates towards one of them. Officials confirmed the man, identified as Miguel Parra-Hernandez, was hit. Authorities say he was taken to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He's currently in ICE custody. The other man, who the spokesperson says was the actual target of the operation, is unaccounted for.
CNN's Mark Morales is joining us now.
Mark, what is ICE saying about all of this?
MARK MORALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a spokesman for the agency said that the man that you just saw there in that video ran in front of an ICE vehicle. And as you said, he's got those lower body injuries. He's got those broken legs. And the other man that was in that car was the actual target. ICE officials had identified him as being somebody who was a public threat, and that's why they were doing this car stop.
But this whole -- this whole video about the car stop really brings tactics into the forefront yet again. These car stops are not something that can just be done by anyone. You need specialized training. That's sort of the new deal that the -- that these agents are now going through. They need specialized training. The vehicles that they have have to have sirens and lights. So it can't just be an unmarked vehicle.
So again, tactics are coming to the forefront, especially in light of what happened with this shooting in the Bronx, where a man was sitting in the vehicle when ICE officials came up and shot him while he had his 5-year-old son in the back seat.
DEAN: Yes. And tell us more about that separate ICE incident here in New York, where agents shot and wounded a man in the car with that child in the back seat. [18:40:04]
MORALES: Well, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was on "STATE OF THE UNION" today, and he talked about the possibility of releasing more footage, this being the body camera footage that the ICE officers are wearing. Now, of course, there's an investigation happening where the FBI and HSI are doing their own investigation. So the timeline is anyone's guess. But he did say that they would release this video.
And as we've been seeing the video of what happens in the before of the shooting and afterwards is very critical here. He also defended the tactics of the officers. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARKWAYNE MULLIN, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Every single department, I don't care if it's state, if it's local, if it's county or if it's federal, they all have undercover divisions and undercover divisions make arrests every single day in plain clothes. When they approach the vehicle, they had their badges out. You can see that their badge was out and they were given lawful commands. So the tactics that are used are the same tactics that are used by law enforcement from coast to coast, from local, city, state to federal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORALES: Now, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also been speaking out about this. And this is not the first time he said this, but he said that ICE should not be operating in New York. He says that it would -- it just -- it's making the people less safe. And he's pointing to this exact situation as an example of that, highlighting people just walking about in the middle of the day at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon, when they see somebody that has a long gun, without any identifying features that show them to be actually in law enforcement, sparking some confusion.
Now, all this while the man at the center of all this, Oscar Belgal, sits in solitary confinement at a local detention center here in New York. His attorneys have actually spoken to him this weekend. And they say that the bullet is still lodged in his neck somewhere. His face is numb, and doctors have told him that he needs surgery immediately. But when that surgery and when that actual help might come is really anyone's guess at this point -- Jessica.
DEAN: All right. Mark Morales with the very latest. Thank you for that.
And joining us now is John Sandweg. He is the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He's also former acting general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security.
Thank you so much for being here with us. It's good to see you. We heard from Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Mark just played a little clip from that, but he also in that interview said that he is sure body camera footage from the shooting here in New York will be released. What are you hoping or what do you think we might be able to learn
from that footage? What will you be looking for?
JOHN SANDWEG, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR OF U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: You know, Jessica, the body camera footage is important, especially for that question of whether or not the use of force was reasonable. Right? The footage that's come out thus far, we don't necessarily see what compelled that particular officer to pull the trigger. Right? Was there a car barreling at him? Was there a car barreling out another agent? Was that shooting didn't meet the standard, right, of reasonable belief of imminent bodily harm?
But I think, Jessica, we take a step back further. And I heard Secretary Mullin kind of defending this idea of the undercover operation. But what concerns me about this, and what so many of these incidents is they operate the -- what seems like a lack of operational planning and the tactics that were utilized in terms of how they were trying to effectuate this arrest when they were doing it, you know, the middle of the afternoon, right after school let out, on busy streets of New York.
And the idea of trying to take this individual into custody while he was behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, something we've seen again and again and again. And I think that's where the concerns are writ large is the tactics we keep seeing ICE using that result in these use of force incidents.
DEAN: Yes. And again, just reminding everyone, you are a former acting director of ICE. So you are well-versed in what are the protocols and what is appropriate in these situations. And to your point in that clip -- yes.
SANDWEG: I was going to say, Jessica, the challenges that. ICE, there's two big divisions. One of them is immigration enforcement division. Historically, they never did this work. That is the unit that was behind the shooting. That is the unit in Houston. In fact, almost every single one of these shootings, it's been that particular unit. And so while the secretary talks about how every agency does undercover operations, that is true, except this unit never historically did this.
This is a new phenomenon we've seen in the Trump administration. And what concerns me and frankly, former colleagues of mine at ICE, is that we see this particular unit engaging in tactics that are outside of their experience and outside of their training, and that's reflected in the plans and in the tactics and these aggressive use of force. You don't see these shootings with other agencies.
Secretary Mullin is right that other agencies use these tactics, but they do it with greater planning and greater experience and greater training. And that's -- that's the concern.
DEAN: Certainly. And I think that -- you know, when you lay it out that way, that's a really important piece of information. That's a really important piece of context within this broader story that we continue to see play out. So knowing all of that, what is the remedy here? Is it -- what is the remedy? I'll just ask you that.
[18:45:03]
SANDWEG: Well, I'll tell you, Jessica. Yes. I think the department was on the right track initially. Right? Secretary Mullin himself actually called for a suspension of traffic stops by this unit. Unfortunately, he was overruled by the president. They've now modified that as your reporter noticed or mentioned a moment ago, where they require some additional training. But the bottom line, Jessica, is we need to see ICE revert back to those tactics that historically they did, which is primarily focusing on people who are already in prison and jail, taking them into custody in a secure environment there.
And when you do these at large operations, doing them in a way that's safe and secure, doing it early in the morning outside their residence. I think, though, Jessica, we have another political factor here driving a lot of this, and that is these quotas and this pressure that ICE is under to hit certain targets in terms of how many arrests. And I think that is -- I don't think we should underestimate the role that is playing in pushing these agents to be so aggressive and taking risks that they otherwise wouldn't take.
And I'll just emphasize one last thing, Jessica. It's important for everyone to know it's not just risks to the immigrants who are being arrested. It's that the lady who was interviewed said it's a risk to the public and it's risk to the officers themselves. These tactics put everyone in a little bit more danger.
DEAN: And I just think in the past, when you and I have spoken, you've talked about previously at ICE, it was about building a case and it -- you were going after like essentially big fish, right? And that that takes longer. There are lower numbers in terms of how many people you're detaining or taking into custody because you're planning more, that this is more about quantity as you're getting at. These quotas. And that that is -- that's some of the difference that we're seeing in these what ends up being, you know, violent altercations.
SANDWEG: Yes. So many of these have been against targets that had no criminal history whatsoever. I will say, as it relates to the New York shooting, this is a good target. This is the type of individual you do want the ICE agents focusing on. But historically, exactly what you're saying. I mean, one thing that concerns me and Secretary Mullin mentioned this. They didn't know the 5-year-old was in the car.
That tells me that there was a real lack of surveillance prior to them going up to the car. That concerns me. When you're engaged in an operation, going after an individual that they believe is high risk, that they believe is a gang member, that they believe, you know, with a criminal history, you want to make sure they have the time to do that level of planning. And so that same thing we were talking about, where ICE is targeting a lot of people with no criminal history because they're easier to apprehend, when they are going after individuals with criminal history, we're not seeing that care and that caution, right, and that careful planning that you want to see before you execute a high risk arrest. DEAN: Yes. And to your point, both of those men in the New York and
Texas operations do have criminal records. So that is worth pointing out as well.
All right. I'm sorry. The targets do. John Sandweg, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.
SANDWEG: Yes. My pleasure, Jessica.
DEAN: Some long-shot bets are getting some extra attention on Kalshi after a few people correctly picked who the next White House press secretary will be. We'll tell you why next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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[18:52:43]
DEAN: The winning answer was Katie Zacharia. And the question in political circles, and for some people online was, who would President Trump choose as his next White House press secretary? No one can say how many people would have guessed that Zacharia would get the job.
Now, a couple of correct long-shot bets on the Kalshi prediction market are drawing scrutiny. Three trades on the Kalshi prediction market site guessed correctly, and those bets were placed shortly before her name was announced publicly. And now a person familiar with the matter says Kalshi is taking a closer look at those trades.
CNN's Marshall Cohen is also looking into this.
Marshall, what's going on here?
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Jessica. It is another possible scandal for these prediction markets. We've been talking about this all year. Keeps happening. And the latest example was on Friday when the president announced that he's picking Katie Zacharia to be the next White House press secretary. Not a lot of people were expecting her to get the nod. It kind of came as a surprise, but not to everybody.
As you mentioned, there were at least three bets placed on Kalshi, the prediction market, shortly before the announcement. That's suspicious timing, caught the attention of the company, which, according to my sources, is now scrutinizing those trades for possible insider activity. Not only was the timing suspicious, but also it was an extreme long-shot. You can see the market up here on your screen. She was only trading at 1 percent. She only had a 1 percent chance according to the forecasts on the Web site, to get that job. And yet she got it.
We did reach out to Kalshi for comment and they did not have anything to say. But this is just another example of possible insider trading. I should note that these trades were all very small. They were all under $100, but they would have paid thousands because she was such a long-shot. And we've seen other highly lucrative bets this year that have caught a lot of scrutiny. It started basically in January. You remember that raid where U.S. special forces captured Nicolas Maduro?
Well, there is a soldier currently going to trial charged by the Justice Department, accused of using classified information from that raid to make hundreds of thousands of dollars on Polymarket.
[18:55:05]
There was also a scandal inside the White House with the teleprompter operator, who was caught betting on what Trump would say at his speeches and rallies. Also, political candidates have been caught this year betting on their own races, and an employee at Google also facing criminal charges for allegedly betting on search results and what would be the top searches last year.
These are some of the reasons why, Jess, many lawmakers on Capitol Hill and state attorneys general are calling for more regulation of this booming industry. And one last note CNN has a partnership with Kalshi. We use their data to cover major events, but they don't influence our coverage, and we don't trade on prediction platforms -- Jess.
DEAN: All right. Marshall Cohen, great to see you. Thanks for your reporting.
Coming up, President Trump has announced this energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. But we're told Ukraine was caught off guard and we haven't heard yet from Russia. So where does it all stand? We're going to take you to the White House and get the latest reporting when we come back.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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