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Isa Soares Tonight
President Trump Turns Up Heat On Venezuela; Kremlin Doubles Down On Its Claim That One Of President Putin's Residences Was Targeted By Ukrainian Drones; Severe Weather Batters Gaza As Displaced Palestinians Struggle To Survive; CIA Drone Strike Targeted Port Facility In Venezuela; China Stages Wargames Around Taiwan; Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia Dead At 80; Eurostar Travel Disruption. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired December 30, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
I'll speak to a former officer of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Plus, the Kremlin doubles down on its claim that one of President Vladimir
Putin's residences was targeted by Ukrainian drones without providing any evidence. So, where does this leave hopes for reaching a peace deal?
And then later this hour, as we gear up for new year's eve, find out what it takes to make a traditional Scottish kilt. That is the outfit worn by
Scots for Hogmanay. But first, tonight, it is a major escalation after months of attacks at sea.
We begin with exclusive CNN reporting this hour on the first known U.S. land strike on Venezuela since President Donald Trump began a pressure
campaign. Sources say the CIA carried out a drone strike on a port facility earlier this month. They say it was targeted a remote dock on the
Venezuelan coast.
The Trump administration believe it was being used by a gang of traffic -- to traffic drugs, pardon me. President Trump acknowledged the attack
yesterday roughly at this time yesterday, saying there was a major explosion in an area where boats are loaded with drugs.
No official comment yet from Venezuela or indeed from Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration is using military action to try to force President
Nicolas Maduro from power, trying to oust him. It struck yet another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific just yesterday, and is also
imposing a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming and leaving Venezuela.
President Maduro denies the accusations on the drug trafficking. He accuses the U.S. of waging psychological terrorism, in his words, against Venezuela
and trying to steal its resources. Let's get more from our Kevin Liptak, who is in Florida where President Trump is spending the holiday break.
Kevin, good to see you. Look, this kind of thing kind of sprung up on us, right, yesterday. We wouldn't have known if the President hadn't mentioned
today. In fact, you're the one on the ground who asked that question. Do we know at this stage? Twenty four hours later, how significant this strike
was? What more are you learning?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, what some officials have told us is that it was more symbolic in a lot of ways. You know, it was on
this very remote part of the Venezuelan coast where the government alleges that the gang Tren de Aragua is loading boats with drugs and sending them
off for shipping.
But, you know, it doesn't seem to have been noticed by anyone inside of Venezuela. You didn't hear reports of a major explosion, in part because
this occurred, according to our sources, at quite a remote facility. But nonetheless, the fact that the U.S. is now striking on land there can only
really be, you know, described as a major escalation.
This is now a new more aggressive phase of the President's pressure campaign on Maduro and on Venezuela. And certainly, the President has been
saying for weeks now that he would move to this phase of land strikes. But this is the first evidence that we have of it actually happening.
And you know, we reported at the time that the President had authorized the CIA to operate covertly inside Venezuela, but this is really the first
glimpse of what that agency has actually been up to. And it is quite significant, I think as significant as perhaps the way we learned all about
this.
You know, I don't think we would have known unless the President had let slip in that interview, which was with a major Republican donor, that this
had happened. And I think the fact that the President was so tight-lipped yesterday, and the fact that the administration is saying virtually nothing
about it since then, just gives you a sense that perhaps the President didn't intend to reveal this information so publicly.
And when we were over at Mar-a-Lago yesterday, he really did not have that much to say. You know, he said it was on a dock. He said that it was at an
implementation area, whatever that means.
[14:05:00]
And when I asked him specifically whether it was the CIA or the military, the President said, I don't want to say that, I know who it is, but I don't
want to say who it is. I think perhaps recognizing this was more information than they had initially prepared and expected to release into
the public.
I think the big question, though, is what happens next and where this all goes for here --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: From here, you know, from all that we've seen from the administration, whether these strikes on the boats or whether this is now a
new strike on land, the end game in all of this has always been somewhat unclear. Even though we know their goal is to oust Maduro, what happens
after that and how they actually plan on accomplishing that, has never really been explained.
SOARES: Yes, and on that point, it's such a good point. I mean, yesterday, we were talking about another alleged drug boat that took place on Monday,
killing two. There isn't or at least it hasn't been communicated if there is one, any sort of strategy, right?
Do we have a sense, do we have any sense from what you're hearing on the ground of whether these strikes, any evidence or anything to suggest
whether these strikes are achieving the administration's objectives?
LIPTAK: I don't think that we have gotten a good sense of that. And certainly when you talk to administration officials, they do think that the
pressure is mounting on Maduro. They think that all of this is having some sort of effect on the ground. But I don't know that anything that Maduro
has said or anything that we've heard from officials within his government indicates that he's preparing to leave in any capacity.
Even as the administration makes very plain that, that is their ultimate goal here. You know, these strikes on the alleged drug boats, it is
interesting how different the approach here is. That you know, the administration has been putting out videos of every single one, and it's
just a point of contrast with how so tight-lipped they are about this CIA operation.
And I think that's intentional. You know, they want this pressure campaign to be very public in some ways to try and sort of convince Maduro that his
days are numbered.
SOARES: Yes, but as of yet, we have yet to see any of the generals or around him actually taper off. So, we'll stay on top of this. Thank you
very much, Kevin, good to see you. And in about 20 minutes time or so, I'll be speaking to -- from -- I'll be speaking to Wesley Tabor; a former
officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA.
He served as the DEA country attache in Venezuela. I'll ask how much the first known U.S. land strike might actually rattle the exactly that
question that Kevin and I were discussing, President Nicolas Maduro. I want to get his thoughts as well on this covert operation as we've been talking
about.
Do stay tuned for that conversation in about 20 minutes time right here on the show. Now, the latest verbal volley between Russia and Ukraine is
threatening to derail talks aimed at ending almost four years of war. The Kremlin is doubling down on its claim that one of President Vladimir
Putin's residences was targeted by dozens of Ukrainian drones.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Kyiv's denials, quote, "insane assertions" and dismissed calls to provide evidence of a strike. So far,
the Kremlin hasn't. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging western Intelligence agencies to investigate for themselves.
And he says the accusation from Moscow's right out Mr. Putin's playbook. He goes on to suggest the allegations are a pretext to sabotage the peace
process, and had this warning earlier. I'm going to quote, "with this statement about an alleged attack on some residents, they are preparing the
ground to strike, most likely the capital and government buildings."
We've already seen that before -- or that this before when they attacked the cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. And this all comes as Ukrainian
authorities says Russian attacks hit two civilian ships in Black Sea ports today, in a move they say threatens to undermine global food security.
Well, despite all of this, President Zelenskyy says some peace plan documents will be ready for possible signing in January. Our Fred Pleitgen
joins us again this evening from Berlin. So, Fred, as we just set that up there, the Kremlin is not only doubling down on this disputed drone attack
at one of Putin's residences, but is now dismissing calls for evidence. What more are we now learning about this claim? What are you hearing?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this was in a phone call earlier today with Dmitry Peskov, and then later also
actually Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister was also quoted as well as ripping into the Ukrainians about this alleged strike.
One of the things that we've seen, sort of in a diplomatic sphere on the part of the Russians is that there have been several world leaders who have
criticized this alleged strike on Russian territory, even though, as you say, so far, there's been very little in the way of evidence that this
actually took place.
[14:10:00]
In fact, there was a call earlier today between Vladimir Putin and the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, where apparently, Pezeshkian also
criticized that strike. The Russians, of course, saying that this undermines President Trump's efforts to bring about a peace in Ukraine, to
end the conflict in Ukraine.
So, the Russians certainly continuing down that line that we've seen before. And you're absolutely right on that call with journalists, Dmitry
Peskov really scoffing at the notion that any evidence would have to be provided, saying the strike was so big, but it was shot down by Russian
surface-to-air missile systems, by their air defense systems.
And so, therefore, he does not believe that any further evidence would be necessary. But the Russians certainly still progressing, if you will, from
that notion that the strike took place, saying that they are now going to take on a tougher line in any negotiations with the Ukrainians.
While at the same time, of course, Isa, we know that the negotiations and you've just mentioned it, between the U.S. and the Ukrainians and the
Europeans are continuing. Again, the Ukrainians today say that actually some more progress has indeed been made. And in fact, they believe that
some documents could be signed by January.
SOARES: Yes, I'm just surprised, you know Fred, that this age of social media, where we film everything on our phones right here, that there isn't
footage out there of this, but of course, we'll continue to chase on this. But you know, President Zelenskyy just picking up on what he wrote on X.
You know, he described this, Freddy, as you quite rightly stated, as a complete fabrication. And he went on to say, and he said that yesterday on
X as well, that this is often used as an excuse to then attack Ukraine, which is what we have seen, right,? With these attacks on Black Sea ports.
Do we have any more information on the -- on these attacks?
PLEITGEN: Well, the Black Sea ports attacks the Ukrainians say happened in two ports that they have not specifically specified which ports those are,
because if we know, of course, that the main sort of port, especially one of the ones that brings a lot of grain, and these were apparently two wheat
ships that were supposed to export wheat from Ukraine.
That's mostly the port of Odesa. There's a big grain port there, but there's another one called Chernomorka(ph) as well. That's also a big port
down there by the Black Sea. Unclear which port this was. One of the things that the Ukrainians have said is that these attacks caused civilian
casualties on the ground.
They also say that some of the facilities on the ground were damaged in this attack as well. And as you correctly stated, the Ukrainians and also
going to -- going on to criticize the Russian side, saying that this not only is an attack on the wheat exports that are supposed to be protected,
but at the same time also, they say that this endangers and threatens global food security, because of course, we do know that Ukraine is one of
the main exporters and one of the biggest providers of wheat and grains around the world because of its fertile land.
And so, that is definitely something where the Ukrainians are saying, look, this took place and they obviously are heavily criticizing the Russians,
whom they blame for this attack. Isa.
SOARES: Fred Pleitgen for us in Berlin this hour, thanks very much, Fred. Well, the United Arab Emirates says it's withdrawing its remaining forces
in Yemen. This after its close ally, Saudi Arabia, bombed a Yemeni port. Riyadh says it was targeting two ships from the UAE that were delivering
weapons to separatist forces.
The UAE initially denied those accusations, but later announced it would voluntarily withdraw what it called counterterrorism units in Yemen.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of pushing that separatist group, the STC, to conduct operations close to the Saudi border.
Social media posts are showing the scale of protests across Iran, the biggest since 2022. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(IRANIANS PROTESTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Anger boiled over into the streets of Tehran again today. A shopkeeper struck against the surging inflation. Rising inflation.
Demonstrations erupted across Iran on Monday after the country's currency plummeted to record low against the U.S. dollar.
Iran's economy has been struggling under the weight of western sanctions. Iranian officials say they hear the concerns of protesters, and they are
promising monetary reform. Let's get more from our Nada Bashir who joins me here now. So, Nada, I mean, clearly, Iranians are feeling incredibly
squeezed, right?
We're seeing surging inflation. Before we talk about what is being done and the reforms by the government. Can you just give us a sense of just how bad
it is?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, we are seeing the economy really plummeting there. The Iranian currency losing nearly half of its
value in just one year, according to official statistics from the state. We're talking about a cost of living crisis that is impacting people on a
daily basis at home.
So, soaring food prices rising by nearly 72 percent --
SOARES: No --
BASHIR: We're seeing health and medical supplies rising by about 50 percent. So, people aren't really feeling this, and they are feeling as
though not enough is being done by the government.
[14:15:00]
And of course, it has to be noted that the economy has been crippled for years now by longstanding economic sanctions put in place and reimposed
again by the United States, by the U.N. and European nations as well. Which has really caused a struggle for many in Iran, many innocent civilians who
are having to deal with this economic collapse.
And now, we are hearing indications from the government that there might be tax hikes in the coming year. So, that has really caused concern --
SOARES: I mean, that's not exactly reform, is it? I mean, clearly a growing discontent. I imagine the footage we're looking -- in fact, I can
see it now, it's from Tehran. The concern is, if this spirals outside of Tehran, which is what we have seen previous -- in previous protests.
BASHIR: Absolutely, and we're already hearing from witnesses on the ground who are speaking to their contacts that there has been some rallies taking
place in other parts of the country, not just --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: In the capital, Tehran, but what we've seen in Tehran, on the markets being closed, businesses being closed, merchants taking part in
leading these protests, university students today taking part in these huge marches and rallies, and we've seen standoffs with the police who were all
kitted out in their riot gear. And of course, typically in previous protests, we have seen a very violent crackdown --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Mass arrests. At this stage, the government has said that it is willing to listen, that it wants to have some sort of negotiation --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Talks with protest leaders. We've heard from the government spokesperson today saying that they are recognizing the protests, that they
recognize the right to peaceful assembly. But whether that actually stands over the coming days --
SOARES: Yes, I was going to ask you that, I mean, the promising of reform -- hey, we're listening to you, but we're going to reform. How -- do we
have a sense of how that's being greeted? Do people feel that that's enough, that goes far enough.
BASHIR: Well, we've seen now the head of the central bank in Iran stepping down, announcing his resignation. That hasn't been enough to quell the
protests today. Whether we continue to see protests continuing over the coming days will be key. And, of course, whether we see the bizarre
merchants keeping their shutters closed, the businesses keeping their doors --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: Closed, that will also be key. And of course, now students getting involved. And that has always been an important part.
SOARES: And these merchants just haven't been able to pay -- to pay rent. Really concerning picture. Thank you very much. Nada Bashir for us. Well,
let me take you to Gaza because on the ground in Gaza, survival is a daily struggle with food scarce, flooding and entire neighborhoods reduced to
rubble.
Palestinians are finding a way to endure unimaginable conditions. Foreign Ministers from ten countries, including the U.K., Canada and France, are
now warning that Gaza's humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. Our Matthew Chance reports on how civilians are coping amid this devastation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war in Gaza has eased, and it's the elements now pounding its displaced
from the skies. Severe weather has left tens of thousands of people exposed to the high winds, cold and rain.
Appalling conditions that have left at least 25 people dead this month alone, including six children, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. "We
woke up to find ourselves floating in the water", says this woman. "We've got no food, no drink, no bedding, everything we had has been ruined", she
adds.
This man shows us inside the waterlogged tent where he lives with his baby daughter, inundated by the rains. "Everything is soaked. The clothes, the
mattress, everything just wet, as you can see", he says. But for people in Gaza, their homes destroyed by war, there's still little sign of relief as
promises to rebuild the devastated territory have yet to materialize.
Held up until the second phase of President Trump's Gaza peace plan, also involving Hamas surrendering its weapons gets underway.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it mean reconstruction of Gaza will begin even before Hamas is disarmed?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's going to begin pretty soon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Before Hamas is disarmed --
TRUMP: He's looking forward to it, so am I. What a mess. What a mess it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
CHANCE: A deadliness with dozens of bomb-damaged buildings collapsing amid the severe weather over the heads of people inside, leaving Gazans with a
life or death choice. To risk shelter beneath crumbling ruins or endure the flimsy tents outside. Matthew Chance, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight. Is he dangerous? That is the question a U.S. federal judge is evaluating right now as he decides whether to allow
the accused Washington D.C. pipe bomber out on bail. We'll have more after this.
[14:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, at this hour, a judge in Washington is holding a detention hearing for the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the headquarters
of the Democratic and Republican parties in January of 2021. Lawyers for Brian Cole say he should not be held until his trial because he is autistic
and is not a danger to society.
Prosecutors say he has confessed and deserves to be kept behind bars. The pipe bombs drew national attention because they were planted the night
before the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol. We will stay, of course, across that story for you.
Staying in the United States, there is more evidence released in just the past couple of hours, in fact, that flu is spreading rapidly across the
United States. The CDC is urging Americans to get vaccinated after new data shows much of the country is experiencing a spike in cases.
More than 80,000 Americans have been hospitalized with the flu so far this year, including 19,000 people in one week in mid-December. I want to bring
in medical correspondent Meg Tirrell with more. That is quite staggering, those figures. Meg, just give us a latest on what the CDC data is telling
us. Break it down for us.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, so, these are data that were for the week that ended December 20th. And so, this is before even a
lot of folks started traveling around the U.S. for the holiday season. And so, unfortunately, we could see that kind of turbocharged things, and we'll
have to see that in the next week's worth of data.
But even before the holidays, already starting to see a real increase in the number of cases, and as you pointed out, hospitalizations as well. The
CDC now estimates for that week, there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses so far in this season for flu, 81,000 hospitalizations, as you
noted, and 3,100 deaths.
In that week, an additional five pediatric deaths have been reported from flu as well, so, children bringing the total for the season to eight, which
is a tragic number for a disease that can be severely lessened by vaccination. And we have been seeing vaccine -- vaccination rates declining
in the United States over the past few years.
And now, we are seeing that 32 out of 40 jurisdictions in the U.S. have either high or very high levels of flu activity right now. If you look at
the distribution among states, really across the United States, you're seeing the darker colors there, purple, dark red.
Those are the highest levels of influenza-like activity. States like New York, which just reported a couple days ago its record high of flu cases
recorded in one week, more than 71,000 recorded. That was up 38 percent just week over week.
[14:25:00]
Hospitalizations in that state rising quickly as well. Now, Isa, I want to show you a graph that can be a little bit much to take in if you just look
at it quickly, but we'll try to explain it because it's really the best way. Here it is of showing where we are in the flu season compared with
recent flu seasons.
So, if you can see that red line there with the dots on it, that shows you this current flu season and what you're seeing is a real vertical line
showing that the activity for flu is going up very quickly. We are not higher than peaks that we've seen in previous seasons, and the CDC does
expect this flu season, of course, to go on for a few more weeks.
We'll have to see where the peak is. So, it's hard to say if this is going to be a worse flu season than others that we've seen. The orange there was
just last year, the green was a couple of years ago. So, we're going to have to see how this one ends up shaking out, but clearly heating up
quickly now, Isa.
SOARES: Indeed, so, then give us a sense in terms of the recommendations, if people do think they may have the flu, what is the CDC advising here?
TIRRELL: Yes, so there are things you can do if you get the flu. Of course, before you get the flu, if you haven't gotten your flu shot, it's
still not too late to do that. And that is the best way to prevent severe effects from the flu. If you do think you might be infected, there are home
tests you can take, that test not just for COVID 19, but also now for influenza A and influenza B, very similar to the COVID tests that we're all
used to taking.
If you test positive, there are antiviral drugs available, and those are particularly recommended for high risk groups. People over 65, those with
health conditions, people who are pregnant, very young children. These antiviral drugs can reduce symptoms, can shorten the duration of the
illness, and are best taken within the first day or two of symptoms.
So often, telemedicine can be a good option there, Isa. Also, if you have exposure within your household, some of those are approved for prevention
after you've been exposed. So, something to consider as well.
SOARES: Yes, vaccines so important. Thanks very much, Meg, appreciate it. And still to come tonight, the U.S. may have entered a new phase in its
campaign to pressure Venezuela more on the first known American attack on Venezuelan soil. When we return -- and we'll have the latest on Eurostar's
power failure. Hear what officials are now saying about services in the channel tunnel, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:43]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: More now on our top story. The Venezuelan government has still not responded to what could be an
aggressive new phase of the Trump administration's pressure campaign. Sources tell CNN a CIA drone strike targeted a remote dock on the coast of
the South American nation earlier this month. This would make it the first known U.S. strike on Venezuelan soil. Sources say there were no casualties.
The incident could further inflame tensions with President Nicolas Maduro, who Washington has been pressuring for months now, as you all know, to try
to step down. And it all comes amid more U.S. military strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels.
Just yesterday, we were telling you about the U.S. saying that two people were killed in a boat in the Eastern Pacific. But once again, the Defense
Department didn't provide any evidence to back up its claims.
Let's get more on this. I want to bring in Wesley Tabor. He's a former officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, and served
as a DEA country attache in Venezuela. He's also the author of the book, "Infiltrate America: Blood Roots and the Rise of Latin Gangs." And he joins
me now from Miami, Florida. Wesley, great to have you back on the show.
Let me get your thoughts, first of all, what we heard just in the past, what, 24 hours or so from the president. I mean, it seems it's the first
attack inside Venezuela. We wouldn't have known about it had the president not mentioned it. What do you make of it? Is it a significant escalation on
your end?
WESLEY TABOR, FORMER OFFICER, U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION AND FORMER DEA COUNTY ATTACHE, VENEZUELA: Well, we have a myriad of things
that are happening right now. We have many firsts, right? So, this is the first kind of hint that we had something happening on the ground there,
which was in a coastal region.
Listen, we can speculate all day how they did it, or if they did it. Trump kind of fell short of really taking responsibility for it. But listen, it
makes sense. If you're a military and you're going to escalate something, you're going to move to the coast, you're going to start taking these
vessels off where they're going to launch from. And that looks like what's happening now.
SCIUTTO: And this was -- I mean, I was surprised that he actually said it because this is a covert operation by the CIA. I'm hoping we have the
sound. Let's have a listen to what he said on this yesterday, Wesley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. They load the boats up with drugs.
So, we hit all the boats and now we hit the area. It's the implementation area. That's where they implement. And that is no longer around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was the facility taken out by the U.S. military or was it another entity like the CIA?
TRUMP: Well, I don't want to say that. I know exactly who it was, but I don't want to say who it was. But, you know, it was along the shore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, Wesley, in terms of context here, I mean, we knew the president had authorized the CIA to take action earlier this year. But are
you surprised that the president acknowledged this so publicly?
TABOR: Not at all, because we know he's going to tease this, right? This is all a pressure campaign. You have to remember. So, we have, you know,
all the ships that are there, we have all the aviation assets on the ground, we have all the law enforcement individuals as well. We have a $50
million bounty on the head of Maduro. The pressure is so great. How do we ramp it up? I'll tell you how we ramp it up. We start taking the oil
vessels, right? Because that's how Venezuela pays their debts to China. They're paying other countries as well. And we have protests coming from
China and Cuba saying, hey, what are you seizing these boats for?
So, the focus now, when he kind of teases the fact that, you know, we hit it, we did this, we did that, but I'm not going to talk about it. I mean,
this is kind of classic Trump. And listen, it's meant to put pressure on Maduro and all of his cronies, because these guys are bad actors. They have
people in prison. They've done a myriad of things as well. So, I think this is just part of the plan to put additional pressure on Maduro.
SOARES: Yes, and as you were talking, my producer put up a graphic of just the armada of ships we are seeing in Venezuela. I'm going to ask you to
bring that up, because that really speaks to that pressure campaign that we are seeing, the U.S. military assets just near Latin America. We've had
more than 100 or so people killed on these alleged drug boats, Wesley, as well.
I just wonder whether you feel that this is having the desired effect. You're talking about pressure campaign. But, you know, as we have seen here
with our correspondent on the ground in Caracas, Maduro is still going out to these protests. There are some people, they're rallying around the flag.
[14:35:00]
Do you feel -- and none of his generals so far that we know have actually dislodged themselves from Maduro. So, what then is the next step from the
U.S. administration? What then needs to happen?
TABOR: You know, I worked there for years, right? I worked against the Cartel de los Soles. You know, I've met many of these members of the
cartel, high-level individuals, former members of Congress, all these things, right? So, they know that the U.S. is slow to act sometimes. They
understand that there's a lot of interference taking place with Russia, China, Iran.
And don't forget, we have non-state actors like Hezbollah and Hamas in the country. So, there's a lot at stake here. Longstanding relationships with
the bad actors coming out of Colombia, ELN, FARC terrorists, things like that, they're all in Venezuela. Everyone's in Venezuela waiting, right, to
take a shot at an American soldier, right?
So, and Trump -- and listen, the military knows this. Our military knows this. They are playing strategically. They have to go slow but surely. In
my opinion, if I was the advising the president, and I'm not, I think I would have acted a little bit sooner because that's when you see him coming
out. He's getting a little bit more boisterous when he comes out. He's making fun of the United States of America in some senses.
But I'll tell you this, in the end, he can dance all he wants and peace and love and all this other stuff. In the end, he's going to be ousted. It's
going to happen.
SOARES: Then, I suppose the question is, does Maduro respond to this? And if so, I mean, does he feel compelled to respond? And how would he respond,
do you think, Wesley?
TABOR: You know, he's going to have people from other countries like Russia and China. They're all advising him, Cuban advisers, all these
things because they have such longstanding relationships. In the end, the truth of the matter is, he's hunkered down, you know, 23 hours a day trying
to figure out how he's going to worm out of this.
And he knows that this flotilla that is out there is just massive. He understands now that we're going to be taking away all of the financial
assets, the boats, the oil. Things are going to dry up fast. And when the money dries up and the opportunities dry up, he's going to dry up. And
that's when he's going to be thrown out to the wolves at some point. That's what Trump is waiting for. That's what the military is waiting for. Rather
than go in, rather than risk our soldiers and airmen and so forth, they're hoping that they can get him out without obviously harming one of our
soldiers or airmen.
SOARES: Indeed. I just wonder how effective these drug boats -- alleged drug boat operations have been. Maybe the oil -- striking some of the oil
boats or taking them away, that's slightly more effective given, of course, how much the Venezuelan economy depends on this, right?
TABOR: Well, you have to remember. So, we see the boats being blown up and a lot of people are saying, why are we blowing these boats up? Number one,
they're not fishing vessels by any means. I think that's a general consensus now. People understand there have been briefings. It's not a
fishing boat, OK?
Now, we've identified the docks and the launch operation sites that they're coming from and we're hitting that as well. And what this does is it's
showing a true disruption. We have the accordion effect, which I like to say is in the United States, you get the Southwest border, then you get the
Caribbean corridor. When you choke both of those off, it used to go back and forth.
Now, we have assets all over the place and we've stopped the flow of this. And what it's stopping is the cocaine, the heroin that's coming across. On
the Southwest border, you have the fentanyl because fentanyl is really not at play here coming out of Venezuela. Cocaine. And we have also heroin
coming out of Colombia to Venezuela because Venezuela is a transit zone.
The majority of it, say 15 to 20 percent, is coming to the U.S. The rest is going to Europe just on an average, right? So, we're choking off the
financial assets of this country because the country is run by a cartel. And don't forget, we have the Cartel, you know, de los Soles, but we also
have Tren de Aragua. And let me tell you something, Tren de Aragua is a very powerful, organized movement within Venezuela. They have a lot of
power and a lot of connection with the cartel de los soles.
So, we're going to have even more at play. We already have military soldiers and higher-level people that are very disgruntled. You know, you
have these guys that are living on beans and rice for the last three years, right? So, all the turmoil is going to collapse on him eventually. It's
just a matter of time.
SOARES: Let's see where that pressure campaign, how the administration follows with this pressure campaign. As always, Wesley, really to get you,
really great to get your insight and get you back on the show. Wesley Tabor there, thank you. Good to see you, Wesley.
TABOR: Thanks, Isa.
SOARES: Now, China has mobilized its army, navy, air and rocket units for a second day of military drills around Taiwan. This is the second largest
number of fighter jets deployed by China with 130 warplanes and 22 ships. That is according to Taiwan's defense ministry.
[14:40:00]
Taiwan's government has condemned the drills, accusing China of military intimidation. Beijing slammed a recent arms deal between the U.S. and
Taiwan that's worth more than $11 billion.
Bangladesh's former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has died at the age of 80. Her death comes just before what had been her potential political comeback
in February's general election. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Khaleda Zia came to power as Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister in 1991, serving another
term from 2001. Her arch-rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, whose recent rule was toppled by student protests in 2024, defined the country's politics for a
generation. Zia was married to Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated during an attempted coup in 1981.
Following his death, Zia helped build a mass movement against a military dictatorship that later came to power, finally ending in 1990. She then
took office as prime minister, beating out Hasina, her then political against military rules.
Zia worked to reestablish the country as an electoral democracy and replaced presidential rule with a restored parliamentary system. Over the
years she faced corruption cases that she claimed were politically motivated. Bangladesh's Supreme Court acquitted her of the last of those in
January, which would have freed her to run in the country's next election in February.
The 80-year-old had advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, and chest and heart problems, according to her doctors. She had returned to
Bangladesh in May after undergoing medical treatment in the United Kingdom. Despite years of ill health, Zia had promised to campaign in the upcoming
election in which her Bangladesh nationalist party is expected to perform well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Hanako Montgomery reporting there. And still to come tonight, a chaotic day for one of Europe's busiest international rail corridors.
Details ahead on what Eurostar is now saying about travel delays.
And then later, every proper Scotsman must have a kilt for New Year's celebrations. We'll take a look at what goes into making one with our Max
Foster.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back. Eurostar says its services are gradually resuming following a power supply failure that caused major disruption.
[14:45:00]
Thousands of travelers in London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam seeing their holiday plans appended just ahead of New Year's. Train services
suspended for much of today. And the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and continental Europe. Getlink, which operates the tunnel's infrastructure,
says the fault is a technical issue and that there is no suspicion of foul play.
Let's get more from Anna Cooban who's tracking the developments, who joins me now. So, Anna, do we know any more about what has happened or whether
that's been fixed? What are you hearing?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, Isa, this was all started by an issue with the overhead power supply in the Channel Tunnel.
Now, the Channel Tunnel is actually made up of two separate tunnels -- or passengers' tunnels, going from London to Paris and Paris to London.
Now, this transport millions of passengers per year, so when an issue happens, it hardly goes unnoticed. And so, there were dozens of trains
cancelled earlier today. I was actually at King's Cross Station earlier in the afternoon talking to affected people. One of them said that he had been
on a broken-down train or a stuck train for six hours at the mouth of the Channel Tunnel and was then ferried back to London. Another woman saying
that she was thinking of, you know, probably having to cancel plans to visit friends in Rotterdam for New Year's Eve.
So, this really has come at a very difficult time, that busy holiday travel period, but also really highlights just the extent of the bottleneck that
is created when you've got millions of people. Last year, almost 20 million people used Eurostar services. Just the bottlenecks created when any kind
of issue, power failure or otherwise, happens along this route.
SOARES: So, slow now. If you're travelling, what is the advice then people are being told? Should they go to Eurostar? What is the best advice here?
COOBAN: Well, Eurostar, despite resuming partial service, is actually saying to passengers to re-book. It's advising them, strongly advising them
to re-book on a different day. It, I suppose, doesn't want lots of people flooding to all these different terminals. It said people who have
cancelled trains who might be hoping to get on another one, definitely stay away. And it said that despite the resumed partial service, it's expecting
severe delays and last-minute cancellations.
SOARES: Anna, appreciate it. Thank you very much. Lots of New Year's plans ruined, it seems. Thank you.
Now, after centuries of delivering letters, Denmark is closing down. State- run Postal Service, Denmark's Postnord, delivered its final letter today after a 90 percent collapse in volume since 2000. That's pretty sad.
Mailboxes are being pulled from the streets as Danes shift to digital inboxes, the first country in the world to stop physical mail. Packages
will still arrive, but handwritten letters, you remember those, are officially a thing of the past after 400 years.
And still to come tonight, it's a must-have item for Scots celebrating New Year. Max Foster finds out what it takes to make a proper kilt. That's
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Well, it's an iconic part of Madrid's early New Year's Eve celebrations every year. The clock rings in New Year for thousands of
revelers. Our Pau Mosquera spoke to the clockmaker about the preparations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are just admiring it from the outside, but only on very rare occasions it is seen from within. What you see here
around me is the inside of the tower that houses Madrid's most famous clock, the one that is located in iconic Puerta del Sol.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, this clock has marked the 12th times on New Year's Eve. Spaniards with this clock beat far world to one
year and welcome the next one while eating the 12 Grapes of Luck per each chime.
Now, it is such the importance of this clock that everything has to be on place for the big moment. And that is why it is so important the work of
the clockmaker.
JESUS LOPEZ-TERRADAS, CLOCKMAKER (through translator): Every week we clean the clock, oil it and check if there are any problems so that we can fix
them. Here, the only thing to do on New Year's Eve is to keep an eye on the second hand to stay coordinated with the hourly signals.
Once we are 28 seconds away from midnight, we activate the ball that will alert the crowd by removing the retaining lever. After a few seconds, when
the ball has descended, the quarter chimes begin. After 20 seconds following the four quarter chimes, the first bell tolls at exactly 12:00.
The following chimes sound every three seconds.
In Puerta del Sol, when it's not so crowded, the sound of the bells can be heard well, but when it's packed, speakers have to be placed because
otherwise the sound is absorbed by the crowd.
MOSQUERA: Now that we have checked that everything is on place, we're just going to have to wait until the clock gets to its big moment and guide us
all to 2026.
Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Thanks to Pau for that report. Preparations for the last day of the year are also underway in Scotland, or as Scots like to say, Hogmanay.
Traditional celebrations may include gifts, parties and visits with friends or family. And don't forget, of course, the kilts. CNN's Max Foster is in
Scotland to find out what it takes to make a proper kilt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Howie.
HOWIE NICHOLSBY, KILT MAKER, 21ST CENTURY KILTS: Max.
FOSTER: You've got some fabric here.
NICHOLSBY: Yes.
FOSTER: How much do you need for a kilt?
NICHOLSBY: Well, it's 7.3 meters, eight yards.
FOSTER: All of this into --
NICHOLSBY: All of this is what I'm wearing in one kilt.
FOSTER: Just explain where all the fabric goes then.
NICHOLSBY: All the fabric goes into the pleats. There's over 30 pleats here and it has to recreate the pattern and it's fully hand-stitched. The
only part of this kilt machined is the waistband.
FOSTER: Yes.
NICHOLSBY: So, when you're wearing it, you still get that swing and that masculine feeling, but it's not a woman's skirt. It's made for a man.
FOSTER: So, when someone flies in from another part of the world, is it acceptable for them to wear the tartan?
NICHOLSBY: Absolutely. It's all about how you feel mentally and physically in a kilt. You've got to feel confident.
FOSTER: So, you showed how much fabric was used. It's a lot of fabric. It gets heavy. But, really, when you wear them, it doesn't feel heavy. What's
the secret?
NICHOLSBY: You've got to adjust a little bit. The weight of the kilt is very proportioned around the body. I want people to enjoy wearing a kilt,
so it has to be comfortable and shaped to the body.
FOSTER: And the length?
NICHOLSBY: The length is personal preference. Now, I measure from the pelvis to the kneecap, top of the kneecap, and that's where Queen Victoria
liked it and that's where it should be worn for formal wear.
FOSTER: Why did she like that?
NICHOLSBY: She liked to see the soldier's knees.
FOSTER: This is what people will recognize, the sporran.
NICHOLSBY: Yes. This is Gordon Winkleman.
FOSTER: What was the thinking behind the sporran?
NICHOLSBY: Well, sporran was a pouch, originally. When it became more military, they wore long hair like this and were centralized. French
royalty were wearing it. They were worried about a man being aroused, so the sporran got put in the middle as a kind of protection.
FOSTER: Really?
NICHOLSBY: So, the legend goes.
FOSTER: So, your view is that anyone anywhere in the world can wear a kilt?
NICHOLSBY: Yes. Yes, just as long as it's a nice kilt, properly made, hopefully made in Scotland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Love legends and I love kilts. I can't wait to see Max in one.
[14:55:00]
Now, Massachusetts police are baffled over the breathtaking theft of 40,000 pounds, that's 18,000 kilos of lobster meat. The CEO of the company
affected says the lobster last night is worth almost half a million dollars. It's believed the thieves disguised a truck to look like the one
that was supposed to pick up the seafood. The CEO of the seafood supplier says he believes organized crime is behind the theft. A large shipment of
crab meat was stolen in the same town earlier in December.
Well, the countdown is on until 2026. Join us for New Year's Eve right around the world as we bring you celebrations from across the globe. The
party starts December 31st at 8:00 pm in Hong Kong, 11:00 Sydney and noon right here in London.
And remember these outfits? Well, I'll be back, not in the same costumes you'd be happy to hear, but with even more extravagant designs. Think
afternoon tea, a day at the races and a weekend of music at Glastonbury. So, do tune in this time tomorrow to see myself and Laura Coates back on
the River Thames, freezing, of course, as we bring in the new year from London. You do not want to miss that.
That does it for this hour, but do stay right here. We'll be back with "What We Know" up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
