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Isa Soares Tonight

Russia Hits Back Over U.S. Oil Sanctions As U.S. President Trump Cancels a Proposed Meeting with Putin; FBI Probe Into NBA Gambling; Venezuela's President Trades Threats with the White House As the U.S. Strikes More Alleged Narco Boats. Senate Voting on Bill to Pay "Essential Workers"; Maduro Boast Anti-Aircraft Missiles; CNN Talks with Family of Boat Strike Survivor in Ecuador; King Charles Visits the Vatican; French Authorities Chasing Louvre Thieves. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired October 23, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A warm welcome to everyone to the show, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Russia hits back over U.S.

oil sanctions as U.S. President Trump cancels a proposed meeting with the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin says dialogue is always better than confrontation.

Threats, debts and arrests. A sprawling FBI probe into illegal gambling nets, and NBA coach, players and members of the mob. Plus, as the U.S.

strikes more so-called narco boats, Venezuela's President trades threats with the White House. We are live for you in Caracas. We begin this hour

with a chilling warning to the West from the Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting with reporters today, Mr. Putin was asked what Moscow's

response would be to a Tomahawk missile strike.

That's a long-range weapon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has requested from the U.S., he says any use of a Tomahawk would be met with a

serious, if not overwhelming response. Meanwhile, in Brussels today, Ukraine's President met with European Union leaders who vowed to bankroll

Kyiv for the next two years by using frozen Russian assets, though no formal agreement was made.

Ukraine also receiving a boost from new U.S. sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies. Mr. Zelenskyy says he's not giving up hope, Ukraine

can make a deal for American tomahawk missiles after last week's contentious meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: The result of this meeting are -- what can I say? And will not go to details. So, the result of this meeting

-- we have sanctions on Russian energy. We don't have meeting in Hungary without Ukraine. And we have not yet Tomahawks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So, this is Fred Pleitgen joins us live from Berlin, obviously the fear here, Fred, is that something will be interpreted as an act of war.

It's pretty clear that Tomahawks would cross the line, but also some of these sanctions are being talked about in those terms too.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the Russians certainly aren't happy about that at all. One of the interesting

things that Vladimir Putin also said is that, he said that he didn't believe that they would necessarily hurt the Russian economy very much,

but certainly that Russia would stand up to them.

Now, there are fears in some European countries that there could be massive backlash if indeed frozen Russian assets are used to acquire not just arms,

but in general to bankroll the Ukrainians. At the same time, of course, we heard at that summit today in Brussels that, that is exactly what European

countries want to do.

They want to continue to bankroll Ukraine, while at the same time, one of the other things they also talked about is beefing up their own defense

sector and beefing up their own militaries. Now, today, I was able to speak to the CEO of one of Europe's largest defense companies, Rheinmetall here

from Germany, Armin Papperger, and he told me to what extent weapons purchases are already increasing, especially since U.S. President Trump has

been in office and telling Europeans to beef up their security. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): As Ukraine continues to face a massive Russian onslaught and EU leaders gathered in Brussels vowing to help Kyiv and

strengthen their own militaries, the head of Rheinmetall, one of Germany's largest defense companies, tells me the increase in European spending is

significant.

(on camera): What kind of things are being purchased?

ARMIN PAPPERGER, CEO, RHEINMETALL: Everything at the moment. So, priority number one is for sure, ammunition. Air defense is priority number two.

Then all the vehicles, but also the Naval stuff, a lot of Naval stuff will come. Very effective --

PLEITGEN (voice-over): One driving factor Armin Papperger tells me U.S. President Trump pressuring Europe to do more for its own defense or risk

losing the U.S.' support.

(on camera): Are you seeing, then, a Trump effect?

PAPPERGER: The pressure from the Americans is very high. And I think without the pressure from America, the German government and also the

European governments would not make that decision.

[14:05:00]

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Rheinmetall is one of the largest producers for artillery ammunition in the world, and the company's stock has soared as

it's supplied massive quantities of shells to Ukraine. But the Ukraine war has significantly changed the nature of warfare. Cheap drones often used to

destroy expensive armored vehicles on the frontlines. Still Papperger tells me he believes heavy armor will remain important in the future.

PAPPERGER: The Ukrainians very clearly say without armored vehicles, we are lost. You cannot win a war only with drones. A drone is one factor, but

there are a lot of other factors.

PLEITGEN: But with almost all types of weapons and high demand, Rheinmetall is branching out into new fields producing jet fighter

sections, recently purchasing a Naval shipyard and even starting its own satellite venture. Armin Papperger saying he believes massive growth is

possible on both sides of the Atlantic.

PAPPERGER: We expect over the next years that we have a potential of more than 50 billion every year out of the European Union side. And there is a

huge potential also in the United States of America. There are huge programs, a new artillery program, the new infantry fighting vehicle, the

new truck program.

PLEITGEN: High demand from nations seeking to beef up their defenses in an increasingly uncertain world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And of course, in a world, at least here in Europe, where that war in Ukraine continues to rage, and one of the things we heard, Max,

today at that summit in Brussels is that European leaders said they will not only continue to support Ukraine, but do it for as long as it takes and

whatever it costs. And that certainly seems to be something where this company, Rheinmetall, is also going to be part of the picture.

They're already doing service and maintenance of some of the vehicles that they provided to the Ukrainians inside Ukraine and want to move production

specifically of ammunition into Ukraine as well. Max.

FOSTER: Fred, just back to the sanctions, obviously Russia gets so much of its foreign currency, doesn't it, from oil? Putin being quite bold about

how it won't damage his economy, but surely it will.

PLEITGEN: Well, certainly, there's going to be an effect. And the Kremlin has said, Max, in the past, that they do believe that if there are

sanctions like the ones that we've seen today, that there will be an effect on the Russian economy, but certainly the Russian economy is going to be

able to get around those effects and continue to be strong.

And one of the things, of course, that we have seen over the past three -- more than three years that this conflict has already been raging, is the

fact that the Russians have been able to adapt their economy to keep it afloat. And so, no doubt it's going to be more difficult for them to export

their hydrocarbons at the same time, one of the things that we're already seeing is the price of oil in general -- in general rise.

Which means that the Russians have to sell less oil to be able to make a lot of money off of it. And one of the other things that the Russians have

said as well, which I've always found interesting, Max, is they say, look, Russia is not only a market to predicated on hydrocarbons, on oil and gas.

They also do have a fairly large domestic market inside Russia.

It's a country of 140 million people. They have industry, they have agriculture, and of course, they also have a lot of other raw commodities

that they do still continue to sell on international markets. Like, for instance, uranium, like diamonds and a lot of other things as well. So,

certainly, the Russians appear to be quite troubled by these new sanctions against these very large oil company -- oil companies.

But at the same time, they do say that they believe that their economy is going to be resilient enough to not only keep them afloat, but of course,

to also continue to fund their conflict in Ukraine as well, Max.

FOSTER: Fred in Berlin, thank you. Oleksandr Merezhko is the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian parliament. He joins us now live

from Kyiv. Thank you so much for joining us. What's your view on the sanctions and how hard they're going to hit Russia?

OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, CHAIR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Well, first of all, it's a great change, and we are truly grateful to

President Trump because what we see, it's important shift from rhetoric, from words to concrete actions. And it's incredibly important for us. We

know that Russian war machine in large part depends on selling, on revenues from selling oil and gas.

And these sanctions is a -- will deliver a huge blow to Russian war machine and its economic capability to wage aggression -- aggressive war against

Ukraine. But of course, we need to continue on other fronts. I mean, that the United States hopefully will continue to provide military assistance,

and will impose secondary sanctions on Russian allies who buy Russian oil and gas and thereby provide lifeline to Russian war machine.

So, only taken together in complex and synergy, we can stop Russian war machine and stop Russian aggression against Ukraine.

[14:10:00]

FOSTER: It does feel, though, doesn't it? That this is as far as Donald Trump's willing to go right now, because this debate about Tomahawks isn't

going anywhere. He's making the point that it takes so long to get them into action, and they need to be operated by Americans. It's a big hill for

him to climb, but your president is pretty clear that he needs them.

MEREZHKO: Yes, absolutely, because if we receive Tomahawks and other kind of contemporary, sophisticated weaponry like long-range missiles, it will

help us to destroy Russian military targets, which -- on which depends Russian war economy. So, we don't lose hope with regard to Tomahawks

because, you know, we had it before many times.

For example F-16, initially, the United States was very reluctant to give us what we needed. Initially, they would say no. Later on, under the

influence of our persuasion, we managed to convince American President to say yes, finally. So, we hope that we should continue to try to convince

our American allies to provide us with more military assistance.

FOSTER: If they do that, then Russia could arguably see it as an act of war, couldn't they? They'll come down on you much harder. And it's also

going to have repercussions for the United States and Europe.

MEREZHKO: Well, first of all, I'm international lawyer, I'm professor of international law, and I can absolutely assure you that providing necessary

weaponry for the victim of the illegal aggression which helps to defend the victim of the aggression is completely in line with international law, and

it's not an act of war in the light of the U.N. charter, Article 51, for example.

So, and there is a myth that Putin will escalate or something, he has already escalated to maximum. He is doing for almost four years, everything

at the maximum of his capabilities. And he's bluffing, he's blackmailing, and we shouldn't succumb to this blackmail. On the contrary, we should do

the opposite what Putin is afraid of, what he is scared of.

FOSTER: Is it a problem that Donald Trump has canceled this meeting with Putin, because Putin today said dialogue is always better than

confrontation.

MEREZHKO: What kind of dialogue you can have -- well, with aggressor, who absolutely has no desire to negotiate in earnest. Who is like making a

mockery out of President Trump's ceasefire initiatives. It's absolutely hopeless. And you know, when Putin is talking about dialogue, it means that

he's scared. He's scared that finally, President Trump shows resolve to help Ukraine.

And I'm absolutely certain that we should continue to deal with Putin from the position of strength. This is the best way to have a dialogue with him.

If you want to achieve result. The only way to do it is to put maximum pressure on Putin, and to provide more military support to Ukraine.

FOSTER: Oleksandr Merezhko, really appreciate your time with us tonight, thank you for joining us from Kyiv. And now we're going to go to a

developing story that feels like an episode of the "Sopranos", really federal prosecutors today announced the arrest of an NBA coach, multiple

players who they say were part of a gambling scheme involving some of New York's most infamous organized crime families.

Amongst those arrested was NBA star Terry Rozier. He is accused of faking injuries to ensure that bets on his statistics would pay off. Also arrested

was Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. Now, he's accused of helping to rig high stakes poker games. And prosecutors say more than 30

people were arrested, and the fraud involves tens of millions of dollars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH NOCELLA JR., U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Between December 2022 and March 2024, these defendants perpetrated a scheme to

defraud by betting on inside non-public information about NBA athletes and teams.

KASH PATEL, DIRECTOR, FBI: Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered

and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese crime families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Joining us now to explain all of this is CNN law enforcement reporter Mark Morales. Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, it is

extraordinary, and we can talk about the poker in a moment, because there's two separate things going on here. But in terms of the NBA -- and absolute

shock, I'm sure to a lot of people, a massive disappointment for any of the teams that these arrested players play for.

[14:15:00]

MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: Right, and there's so much going on because like you said, like an episode of "Sopranos", it's been a

long time since we've said some of these names. Gambino, Bonanno, Genovese, it's been a while since we've said those. And at the same time, now we're

saying former NBA champion and hall of famer Chauncey Billups within the same sentence, and that's what I think is really causing a lot of people to

take notice of this.

And as we mentioned, we're talking about a major sweeping investigation causing two -- stemming from two indictments here. And when it comes down

to talking about Chauncey Billups here, right, he's the current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers team. And he was what was known as the face

of some of these illegal card games, because prosecutors allege that he was in on what these mafia types were organizing with these illegal card games.

So, he would be distracting some of these wealthy people that were playing this game. Meanwhile, the organizers of this illegal card game were rigging

the game itself by using very technical, very -- using a lot of technology they were using. Cameras, they were using card readers, they were using the

shuffle, the card mechanisms.

So, they knew the hands that were coming, and they were able to get millions from some of these people that were playing this game. And as you

can imagine, when they didn't pay up, that's when you saw the ugliness of the mafias that were coming out, because they would collect and they would

be violent when they would collect.

When you talk about Terry Rozier, current NBA player, he plays for the Miami Heat. He was funneling information to people within his camp about

players, whether it was, you know, their injury history or who wasn't going to be able to play. And they would take this information and they would put

bets and place them using these apps, and they'd get a lot of money from this.

And in all, from what this investigation, you're talking about over 30 people that have been indicted. We're talking about charges including wire

fraud, robbery, even extortion. Max?

FOSTER: What does it say to you about the power of the mafia in the U.S. right now then?

MORALES: Well, it's the kind of thing where you know, it's not -- it's not quite the heyday that it was back in the '80s and '90s. But it's the thing

that you can always understand, never quite goes away whenever you have anything such as any sort of legalized gambling or really anything, you

know that there's going to be an element that's going to be working underneath, trying to, so-to-speak, game the system. So, even if you're not

saying these names, you know that they're not going anywhere.

FOSTER: And in terms of the NBA games, it was actually quite a simple fraud, wasn't it, usually? They got information from the team about when a

player would take time out as I understand it, and just bet on that.

MORALES: Right. You know, for the NBA, the last thing that any sports league wants is the implication that there is something that's not on the

up-and-up, right? And for the NBA, you had not too long ago, you had a referee who was involved in actual fixing games. So, once you start talking

about the integrity of the game and the black guy that, that takes, that's something that the league takes very seriously.

Terry Rozier's lawyer has come out, and he said that according to him, the NBA cleared him of any wrongdoing, and that they're ready to fight this in

court. Now, we still haven't heard from Chauncey Billups' attorney, but what we do know is that the NBA has put both of them immediately on leave.

So, now you're dealing with a public relations mess that the NBA has to deal with, because when you talk about something like this, not only are

you talking about the integrity of the league, but now there's people's money at stake because of the legalized gambling that's happening here.

FOSTER: Law enforcement reporter Mark Morales, really appreciate you reporting on that extraordinary development today. Still to come tonight,

yet another top U.S. official goes to Israel to try to shore up the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. We'll have the latest. And taking a wrecking ball to the

people's house. We'll tell you how much it's set to cost now and who is going to be paying for it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:20:00]

FOSTER: The U.S. Secretary of State says he's cleared-eyed about the challenges ahead as he works to safeguard the fragile Israel-Hamas

ceasefire in Gaza. Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem where he's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. The two made

statements just a few moments ago.

Rubio joins a parade of top American officials tag-teaming in-and-out of the region to shape the 20-point U.S.-brokered peace deal into a reality.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yet another senior U.S. official touching down in Israel to meet with the Israeli Prime

Minister and senior members of his government. This time, it's the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who is the latest in a parade of senior

U.S. officials who visited Israel just this past week.

A week that began with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff arriving in Israel. And then you saw the U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance

doing the same. And now we're up to the Secretary of State. It's all part of an effort that one U.S. official termed as baby-sitting, a play on the

Israeli Prime Minister's nickname, Bibi Netanyahu.

And that's because U.S. officials, you know, have been concerned that the Israeli Prime Minister is simply not as committed to this ceasefire

agreement as the United States is. Not as committed to ensuring that this ceasefire agreement not only holds, but actually results in that enduring

end to the war in Gaza that President Trump has described.

We have seen that Vance and Rubio have already talked about, you know, the efforts necessary to ensure that this ceasefire actually sticks, as the

U.S. is expending really significant diplomatic and political capital here in Israel in order to not just monitor this ceasefire, but actually mediate

potential disputes that may arise.

Standing up this new civilian-military coordination center about a dozen miles away from the Gaza border, where you have U.S. military officials and

others monitoring the ceasefire, ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid, and starting to prepare for the next phases of this ceasefire. And we heard

the Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday, talk about some of those efforts.

Standing up this international stabilization force that will go into Gaza and take over parts of the Strip from both Hamas and from the Israeli

military. We also heard for the first time from the Vice President a timeline for the potential rebuilding of parts of Gaza, including the

southern city of Rafah.

JAMES DAVID VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that we could actually have tens of thousands of Gazans moving into southern Gaza,

where again, you have the Hamas free zone in the next couple of months, and then tens of thousands beyond that. I think the hope is to rebuild Rafah

over the next 2 to 3 years. And theoretically, you could have half a million people live in a rebuilt Rafah.

DIAMOND: The Vice President also addressed the vote that happened in Israel's parliament while he was in Israel. This was a vote to advance a

bill that would see Israel annex large swaths of the West Bank. J.D. Vance; the Vice President saying that he was not only insulted by this vote,

calling it a stupid political stunt, but also reiterating that the U.S. would not allow Israel to do so.

The Israeli Prime Minister, for his part, his office blaming Israel's opposition even though most of the votes in favor of this bill came from

his own governing coalition. But he did say that without his party's support, the Likud, this vote would not go anywhere. Jeremy Diamond, CNN,

Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:25:00]

FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned the billionaire co- founder of Binance; the cryptocurrency exchange platform. Changpeng Zhao has pleaded guilty or had done to money laundering in 2023. But the White

House says the prosecution was part of the Biden administration's, quote, "war on cryptocurrency".

The pardon raising eyebrows about Mr. Trump's own business ties to Binance. For more, Kevin Liptak joins us from the White House. So, Kevin, what are

those links he has with the company then?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Binance has essentially entered into a business deal with the firm called World Liberty

Financial, which is the crypto firm that was founded by members of the Trump family. And so, you can see how the connections run fairly deep. You

know, CZ, he goes by that as his first name.

CZ Zhao had hired a number of lobbyists and lawyers who were close to the Trump family and close to the Trump administration, as he was pushing for

this pardon since President Trump returned to office back in January. And what the White House claims is that this is essentially meant as a

corrective measure to sort of push back against some of the crackdown against the crypto industry that was undertaken by President Biden when he

was in office.

And we just heard from the Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was asked about this in her briefing last hour, and she said that Zhao's case was,

quote, "an overly prosecuted case by the Biden administration". She calls that administration, quote, "very hostile to the crypto industry". And she

said that President Trump wanted to correct this overreach of the Biden administration's injustice, and he exercised his constitutional authority

to do so.

And just to remind you of what the charges he actually pled guilty to, were -- it was essentially a not putting in the legally required protections

against money laundering to ensure that the crypto that was going through the Binance platform wasn't used for nefarious purposes. Janet Yellen, who

was the Treasury Secretary at the time said that Binance had allowed illicit actors to transact freely, supporting activities from child sexual

abuse to illegal narcotics to terrorism.

And so, you know, this is going to draw questions about what it takes to get a pardon from President Trump, whether it takes being close to his

family, supporting some of his business interests, obviously, we've seen just this week another controversial pardon in the former Congressman

George Santos, who had also been openly lobbying for clemency from the President.

And so, you do see somewhat a controversial pattern emerging by the President here, but as Karoline Leavitt tried to push back on that today,

saying that every clemency request goes through the Justice Department and is reviewed by the White House counsel's office to ensure that it's kind of

on the up-and-up.

FOSTER: And on the building behind you, how much of it is left at the moment?

LIPTAK: Well, the East Wing is gone, the rest of it is still standing. But we did see pictures today that sort of confirmed that the entirety of that

east section is now demolished. It's sitting in rubble on the ground. It includes not only the East Wing itself, which is where the first lady has

traditionally held her office, that's where the White House calligraphers, for example.

But it also includes the east colonnade, which sort of attached to the East Wing to the main section of the building. In addition to the colonnade,

there was a movie theater that was sitting on sort of the north wall of that, which is where presidents could screen first-run movies from the

American film studios. So, that's gone as well.

It's all sitting in bricks and rebar and concrete on the ground over there. Now, the next step, of course, is to clear out that debris and start

building the ballroom. And that is when the White House says that it will go before this approval commission, the National Capital Building

Commission to to put their plans in front of them to get their sort of seal of approval.

They very evidently did not do that before it was demolished. And so, in a lot of ways, this project is already off and running. It will be difficult

to stop it right now. We are getting a sense of the scale of all of this. Yesterday, the President increased the price tag from $200 million, which

was the cost that they initially said it would be to $300 million.

So, you can already see how this project is getting bigger and bigger over time. He said that it would respect the qualities of the White House, that

it would fit right in to the mix of it. But the renderings, you know, are pretty garish. You know, you see the coffered ceiling, the Corinthian

columns, it looks pretty much identical to the ballroom that the President has down in Mar-a-Lago.

FOSTER: Thank you, Kevin. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Washington, Senate Democrats have blocked a Republican-led bill that would require the

government to pay who they describe as essential workers. That would include people who are required to work during the shutdown but aren't

getting paid.

TSA workers, ICE and border patrol agents, amongst others. But importantly, this would not account for furloughed workers. And Democratic lawmakers say

the administration shouldn't get to decide which employees are essential and which should and shouldn't get paid. It comes a day before millions of

federal workers are set to miss their first full paycheck. The shutdown itself has now entered its 23rd day, no clear end in sight either.

Still to come tonight, Venezuela says it has thousands of anti-aircraft missiles in place as U.S. President Trump weighs possible military action

inside the country. We'll take you live to Caracas.

Plus, a historic state visit by Britain's King Charles to the Vatican.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: We are tracking fast moving developments in expanding U.S. military strikes on what the administration is calling drug traffickers in

international waters. U.S. President Donald Trump claims he has the legal authority. Critics call it a violation of international law that amounts to

extrajudicial killings.

The president, meanwhile, also says all payments and subsidies to Colombia have been halted. He accuses President Petro of doing nothing to stop

production of drugs there. The strikes are expanding beyond the Caribbean. The U.S. military says it hit two boats in the eastern Pacific. At least 37

people have been killed in strikes since September.

Seven others have been launched recently in the Caribbean. It comes amid threats from Donald Trump on possible military action in Venezuela. But so

far, the White House has yet to provide any evidence of drug traffickers.

[14:35:00]

For more, I'm joined by Stefano Pozzebon live from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. A country saying that actually they're doing a huge amount to

prevent drug misuse in their own countries.

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Max. Well, I think that we're seeing that these escalations are building up far across international

borders with several countries, not just Colombia and Venezuela, standing up to the scrutiny of the White House that is questioning their record in

the war on drugs.

The latest one is Colombia, which is of course the largest producer of cocaine in the world. More than 50 percent of the world's cocaine is

actually coming from Colombia, despite decades of war against drug trafficking. But we're seeing that there is a president there, Gustavo

Petro, who is willing to stand up to Donald Trump.

And the breaking news at this hour is that Petro has just wrapped up a press conference in the capital, Bogota, where he once again reiterated

this accusation that the United States are conducting extrajudicial killings. He said it, and I'm quoting, "that there is movement, we find

ourselves, there are warships and aircraft and missiles all across the Caribbean Sea. And in these kinds of actions, the United States is carrying

out extrajudicial killings," end my quote.

But moving on, we understand that the largest potential for conflict is actually taking place here, where I am, in Venezuela. If you take

consideration into Colombia. Well, Colombia is a country that has a longstanding alliance, especially when it comes to security within the

United States. It's a country where DEA and CIA officers are well known to operate, and they conduct joint operations almost on a weekly, if not daily

basis, with the Colombian forces.

Venezuela, however, is a country that has been at odds with Washington for the last 25 years. And this is why we're seeing that the biggest of -- like

the loudest of the saber-rattling, Max, is occurring here from Caracas, with the president, Nicolas Maduro, standing up once again to Donald Trump

and reminding that the possibility for open warfare is very, very present. Take a listen to what he said just last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Any military force around the world knows the power of the IGLAs. And Venezuela has no

fewer than 5,000 IGLAs in key air defense positions to guarantee peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: He was, of course, referring to Russian-made anti-air or air defense units deployed along the coast of Venezuela, where we're seeing

that U.S. Air Force is conducting flights that are seen as a show of force, perhaps even a provocation, entering closer and closer further south from

the Caribbean Sea, closer and closer to the Venezuelan coastline.

Maduro, by the way, finished that quote quipping that, if you know, you know, when he was referencing to what these air defense units are capable

of doing. So, clearly, the potential for open confrontation here, despite the fact that the world is already reeling from two open wars in Gaza and

in Ukraine, of course, Max.

FOSTER: Yes. We don't need another one, do we? Stefano Pozzebon in Caracas, thank you. CNN travelled to Ecuador to try to find one of the few

people to survive one of those strikes. David Culver filed this report before the news of the most recent hits on alleged drug smuggling boats in

the Eastern Pacific.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this small Ecuadorian coastal town, nearly everyone knows someone who's left for work

and never come back.

CULVER: This is all her brother, Andres' clothes, the mattress where he slept up until nearly a year ago. She says he was desperate for work, that

he was concerned about providing for his six kids and he said he needed to go to work. And like many in this small coastal town, he is a fisherman.

The thing is, and this is what she found odd, he left behind all of his fishing gear. She says he's a good person and that was just trying to make

ends meet.

President Trump says your brother is a terrorist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

CULVER (voice-over): Her brother, Andres Tufino Chila, isn't a stranger to U.S. law enforcement. Court records show he was arrested, convicted and

jailed in 2020 for smuggling drugs off Mexico's coast before being deported.

Now, after surviving the latest U.S. strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, he's believed to be back in Ecuador and free. Officials here

say they have no evidence he broke local laws and released him. Yet, his case has put a spotlight on a broader question, who and what exactly are

these U.S. strikes trying to stop?

[14:40:00]

Since early September, the U.S. has carried out at least seven strikes off Venezuela's coast. The Trump administration says they're about saving

American lives from drug overdoses. Yet, most U.S. overdose deaths aren't from cocaine, they're from fentanyl, largely produced in Mexico and

smuggled over the border, often by U.S. citizens.

It's not clear where exactly the U.S. has been targeting suspected drug running boats. But our analysis of U.S. military flight data shows dozens

of surveillance flights just north of Venezuela in the Caribbean.

Far from Ecuador's shores, where cocaine from Colombia in the north and Peru in the south, pours in before moving out to sea, using Ecuador

essentially as a transit hub to the Pacific. This is how about 70 percent of the world's cocaine supply gets to the U.S. and Europe and beyond.

And the drug runners, the ones risking it all at sea, mostly are not gang members. They're fishermen, often seen as expendable by the gangs that

control them. Ecuadorian officials say they're also cracking down, even with limited resources.

Still, many here say the trade feels impossible to escape.

CULVER: When you ask them about the amount of involvement in narco and drug trafficking, some are hesitant to disclose it.

He says as he looks at it, probably 25 to 30 percent are working in illicit drug trafficking activity.

CULVER (voice-over): Some say they have no choice. In 2023, gangs ambushed a fishing village in the north, targeting those who refused to pay

extortion. Nine were killed, dozens wounded. Others say the money makes it worth the risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We put a box in the hull of the boat to hide the drugs. As a fisherman, I could make $300 a month. But

doing an illegal run up to just off the coast of Mexico, I can make $30,000 to $60,000 a month. It's good money.

CULVER (voice-over): If you survive the trip. Since 2024, Solanda Bermeo's group has documented more than 2,800 Ecuadorian fishermen missing, dead, or

detained abroad. These women, some two dozen who wanted to share their stories with us, know their loved ones broke the law, but they also know

why.

We don't have work. We don't have any way to support ourselves, she says.

As the U.S. strikes continue far from these shores, the ones caught in the crossfire are rarely cartel leaders, but the men who take the risk for

them.

CULVER: She says she really wants to talk to her brother, Andres. She's grateful that at least he's alive, especially considering her other two

brothers are both in prison, one here in Ecuador, the other in the U.S. Both of them accused of being fishermen turned drug runners.

We did ask that one fisherman turned drug smuggler who showed us how he hides drugs inside of his boat if the drug smuggling has slowed down in

light of the recent strikes from the U.S. And he said nothing's really changed. That speaks to, in part, the fact that there are just so many

risks already leading into this type of work that they've been carrying out that many of them say it's just another one that could potentially keep

them from returning home.

Others say that they are motivated by the money, in which they can gain a lot of that. And still others say this is about being under the control of

gangs, that they have no choice when they're being coerced and threatened. And so, they feel, given they're not gang members themselves, they're not

high-level cartel members, they're simply fishermen, that they have no choice but to go along with it.

David Culver, CNN, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come tonight, an historic state visit by Britain's king Charles. We'll have the details on the meeting at the Vatican between the

king and the pope.

Plus, new details emerge about the shocking theft from the Louvre Museum, as those who carried out the heist remain on the run. We have the details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:00]

FFOSTER: A court in Northern Ireland has found a former British soldier not guilty of murder in the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings. Thirteen unarmed

Catholic civil rights marchers were shot to death when members of a British regiment opened fire 53 years ago. The incident in the city of Londonderry

was one of the defining moments of sectarian violence between the Nationalist and Unionist forces.

The soldier who can't be identified legally is known only as Soldier F. He was found not guilty of killing two men and trying to kill five others. The

British government in 2010 apologized for the Bloody Sunday killings after a judicial inquiry found that the victims were innocent and had posed no

threat to the military.

Britain's King Charles is making a state visit to the Vatican. Earlier, the King and Queen Camilla were met by Pope Leo XIV. The visit to the Vatican

is seen as a significant moment in reconciling centuries-old divisions between the British monarchy and the papacy.

King Charles and Pope Leo also took a moment to pray together. This marks the first time a British monarch has publicly prayed with the Pope in 500

years, possibly longer. CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb has more on this historic visit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): History made in the Sistine Chapel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let us pray.

LAMB (voice-over): For the first time in more than half a millennium, an English king and a pope prayed together.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla on a historic visit to the Vatican, emphasizing unity and the king and the pope's concern for the environment.

The royal and Vatican choirs singing together underneath the famous Michelangelo frescoes. The king's trip is an extraordinary historical

turnaround.

500 years ago, Henry VIII broke with Rome and established himself as head of the Church of England. For centuries, the papacy and the monarchy saw

each other with suspicion. Now, King Charles, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England, and the first American pope, have put those

historic divisions to one side.

Charles and Pope Leo exchange gifts and honors. A papal knighthood for Charles. And membership of the Order of the Bath for Leo, an ancient

British title traditionally given to heads of state.

Later, at the Basilica of St Paul's outside the walls, Charles took part in another service. He was seated on a specially commissioned chair engraved

with the motto, that they may be one. The king's visit comes as his brother Prince Andrew is embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that risked

overshadowing this trip. And as the king continues with his treatment for cancer. At a moment of difficulty, the king is drawing on his faith. And at

the Vatican, showing his desire to build bridges between churches. In a way no British monarch has done for centuries.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come tonight, nature shows its funny side as the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards announce this year's finalists. We'll have some of

the best shots after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:00]

FOSTER: The National Football League is standing by its decision to have the Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl 60s halftime show

despite the backlash. Now, Commissioner Roger Goodell says, quote, "He's confident it's going to be a great show that will be a united moment."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: He's one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world. That's what we try to achieve. It's an important

stage for us. It's an important element to the entertainment value. It's carefully thought through. I would say that I'm not sure we've ever

selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Bad Bunny, real name Benito Ocasio, has criticized Trump's immigration policies and has promoted LGBTQ policies. Some critics in the

U.S. have painted him as a Trump hater and anti-American, even though he's an American citizen. Super Bowl 60 takes place on Sunday, February the 8th.

Now, just days after a gang of thieves carried out a stunning heist at the Louvre Museum, a new video appears to show how they actually made their

getaway. The video, seemingly taken from inside the museum, shows the suspected thieves escaping using a mechanical truck-mounted lift. The

getaway vehicle had been parked nearby on the banks of the River Seine.

The museum's director said the balcony where the thieves broke in was not covered by security cameras. They reportedly made off with more than $100

million worth of stolen jewels. Our Melissa Bell is outside the Louvre with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dramatic new footage has emerged of Sunday morning's heist here at the Louvre Museum. You can

see what appears to be the robbers on that mechanical ladder heading back down towards the truck before we now know they made their getaway on those

scooters carrying those eight pieces of jewelry that they managed to take.

One, of course, was left behind, the crown of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The rest they managed to get away with.

That latest video, the newest element that investigators will be working with to try and figure out how this operation unfolded, who the robbers

might have been, and perhaps most crucially, where the jewels are now.

We've been hearing also in the last 24 hours from the director of the Louvre Museum, who's spoken to some of the security lapses involved, the

fact that there were no exterior cameras pointed towards that window, that balcony, on which -- through which the robbers were able to gain access to

the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning. Security now being beefed up, of course, at French museums.

[14:55:00]

For now, the investigators, though, have yet to have that big breakthrough moment in trying to figure out who the robbers are or where, indeed, they

might be now.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Finally, from marching monkeys in Rwanda to leary leopards in Sri Lanka. The Nikon Wildlife Comedy Awards announced their 2025 finalists. I

hope you're enjoying them. Dancing foxes in the Netherlands for you. How about an elephant playing peekaboo? They beat over 9,000 other photos to

make the top 40. The decades-old competition aims to celebrate the wonders of nature while emphasizing the urgency of conservation through unique

shots like this one of a frog.

The winning image, though, due to be announced at a ceremony in London on December 9th, but all finalists will have their work featured in an

exhibition at Oxo Gallery later this year, if you want to have a look at the tongue there.

Thanks for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. I'll have more "What We Know" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END