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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Deadly ICE Shooting Sparks Outrage, Protests in Minneapolis; Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners; Senators Advance War Powers Resolution for Venezuela; More Protests in Iran; Mexico Provides Oil Lifeline for Cuba. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired January 08, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers, joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and

you're watching "The Brief."

Just ahead this hour, we are live in Minnesota where the National Guard has been put on standby amid protests over the deadly shooting of a woman by an

ICE agent. Democrats and five Senate Republicans advance a bill that would limit President Trump's war powers in Venezuela and mass anti-government

protests are taking place, expanding across Iran. At least 45 people have been killed reportedly in these demonstrations so far.

Protests in Minneapolis, a day after a federal immigration agent shot and killed 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen. Angry

protesters a short time ago clashed with Border Patrol officers outside a federal building, as you see there. Here in Washington, the Vice President

J.D. Vance insists the agent shot and killed that woman in self-defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The reason this woman is dead is because she tried to ram somebody with her car and that guy acted in self-defense.

That is why she lost her life, and that is the tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Multiple videos show a great deal of nuance. One video shows agents refusing to let a doctor help the video -- victim rather, after the

shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I go check a pulse?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Back up. Now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a physician.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, listen. We understand. We got EMS coming up. And I get it. Just give us a second. We have medics on scene. We have our own

medics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where are they?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: State investigators say they have been forced to withdraw after the FBI took control of the case, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has

authorized the state's National Guard now to support local law enforcement. The Democratic governor says he believes getting a fair investigation is

going to be difficult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): I say that only because people in positions of power have already passed judgment from the president to the vice president to

Kristi Noem have stood and told you things that are verifiably false.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Ryan Young is at the scene of the protests. Ryan, I wonder if you could describe the protests so far. When we see clashes, crucially, who's

initiating those clashes?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's a complicated question there, Jim. Look, we've been here since about 6:50 a.m. This has

been going back and forth since that time. No less than eight clashes between protesters and the Border Patrol agents.

At one point, the Border Patrol was standing right here. And, in fact, this was the line they designed. And we actually had Greg Bovino walking down

this area, talking to Border Patrol agents. At some point, there were more than 100 Border Patrol agents standing here in a phalanx, making sure that

no one could cross this area.

Now, I'll show you what protesters were doing earlier. Look at this gate right here. You can still see some of the Border Patrol agents right here.

The protesters were actually blocking this and stopping trucks from being able to go inside. And that's when we saw that first action, the first

clash, because the Border Patrol agents were not going to allow them to make sure they couldn't get in any of these exits. And there's actually

three different exits that they were blocking at one point. Border Patrol came in here and swiftly moved those folks back.

Now, since then, we've seen several different clashes. Some have been because protesters have thrown objects, including snowballs, in their

direction, and they've responded with pepper balls. And so, the pepper balls have been in our area more than five or six times. The last clash

happened maybe about an hour ago. We even saw Border Patrol agents taking some of the more peaceful protesters back to their car who wanted to leave

because they arrived with their kids and they didn't want to be involved in this. So, you see both.

That initial group that was here this morning, they had other organized protests throughout the day. They left here. And what we saw was a smaller

group who decided to stay here and kind of go back and forth with these agents. We did see some of the agents who were in the line there responding

to some of the protesters, antagonizing them from time to time. So, we saw some of that.

[18:05:00]

We also saw them drop some of the items that they were using to perform their duties. We saw someone spill their pepper balls out on the ground.

So, you saw somewhat of a lack of discipline in that sense.

But since then, it's been really a lot of the protesters antagonizing the Border Patrol agents and making their voices be heard. This has been going

on nonstop. We've had women, children, other people showing up, crying, very emotional, calling them murderers, asking them to leave this area.

But as of this point right now, at this time, that's where they're standing and that's where they're going to be for the next few minutes because

they've told us that they want everyone on this sidewalk to make sure that they're not impeding federal officers as they're going in and out of these

gates. Jim.

SCIUTTO: Ryan Young, good to have you there. Thanks so much and please stay safe.

YOUNG: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: We are learning more about the woman that ICE shot and killed. She was 37 years old, Renee Nicole Good, a mother, a widow as well. She'd

been married to a military veteran who died back in 2023. Her death now leaves their six-year-old child an orphan, according to reports. Good also

leaves two other children behind from a previous marriage. Omar Jimenez spoke to Renee Nicole Good's neighbors in Minneapolis to learn more about

her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mother of three, a partner and a poet, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, as described by those who knew

her. Her neighbors now mourning their loss.

KIMMY HULL, RESIDENT: If we can help, we're going to help you. You know, it's -- that's the community that --

JIMENEZ (voice-over): She was shot and killed near the site of an immigration enforcement operation Wednesday after dropping off her six-

year-old son at school, according to the Associated Press. Multiple videos obtained by CNN show the moments before she was shot at about 9:30 a.m.

That video shows her car driving up to the scene about three minutes before the deadly confrontation with ICE agents.

JIMENEZ: This is the South Minneapolis neighborhood where Renee Good lived. There's just a few blocks from where the shooting happened and a day

removed from the shooting. It's quiet. We get the sense that some in this neighborhood are on edge, heartbroken over what happened so close to them

here.

One of the neighbors we spoke to who didn't want to appear on camera describes Renee Good's family as a really sweet family, that her children

would ask to pet the dogs that the neighbors would walk here in the community. And we get the sense that Renee Good wasn't in this community

that long, but clearly already made an impression on many here.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): While Clark Hoelscher didn't know Good personally, they live a few houses down and would see her kids' sidewalk drawings

during the summer.

JIMENEZ: When we were talking earlier, you know, about Renee and about her kids, you were getting emotional.

CLARK HOELSCHER, RESIDENT: Yes.

JIMENEZ: What was going through your mind? What were you thinking?

HOELSCHER: Oh, I mean, I just, I'm a parent. I've helped raise five children. I have two, you know, kiddos that are my own and just, I can't

imagine, like, that they, you know, came home and their mom, you know, isn't going to be there for them anymore.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Good was a Colorado native who moved to Minnesota last year, living in the Twin Cities with her partner. Of her three

children, according to the AP, a six-year-old boy whose father, a military veteran, died about three years ago, according to The Washington Post. And

two other children, 15- and 12-year-olds from her first marriage, her ex- husband told the AP. He said she was a devoted Christian who took part in youth mission trips when she was younger. And she briefly lived in Kansas

City before moving last year. Her former neighbor there says she wasn't a terrorist nor an extremist, as she's been described.

JOAN ROSE, FORMER NEIGHBOR OF RENEE NICOLE GOOD: That was just a mom who loved her kids, loved her spouse.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): She graduated from Old Dominion University in December 2020 with a degree in English. A growing memorial near the site of

the shooting now bearing posters with her image. Candles and flowers left in the snow where she died.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Shot and killed by an ICE agent. Joining me now, Minnesota State Senator Zaynab Mohamed. Thanks so much for taking the time.

STATE SEN. ZAYNAB MOHAMED (D-MN): Thank you so much for having me.

SCIUTTO: You were there in the neighborhood in the aftermath of the shooting. You spoke to her neighbors. You spoke to witnesses. Can you tell

us what you learned?

MOHAMED: Yes, I got there just a few minutes after what I had heard was a shooting. At the time, no idea that this person was killed. And as I got

there, the crowd was growing, and you can just feel in the air people were just feeling so much sadness and grief. And just a few minutes later, we

had learned that the young woman was killed.

[18:10:00]

And as the day went on, the crowd just grew. And it was just difficult to watch people in our community feel so hopelessness in a moment where they

felt like people who came into their community, who said that they were carrying out the laws of our country, were the ones who were killing

citizens in our own neighborhoods.

SCIUTTO: Schools in the area are closed today and tomorrow, I believe. Why is that?

MOHAMED: Because ICE agents have been all over the community terrorizing any and everybody that they can. Yesterday, there was an incident in our

district, actually in Roosevelt High School, which is a high school I represent, where a young person was fleeing ICE agents because they said

that they had been following them for several miles. And they came to the school because they thought the school would be the safest place for them

to be at.

And that car was -- the car they were driving in were broken into by ICE agents. The young person was pulled out, was detained. And then ICE agents

went on to pepper spray all of the students that were outside because it was the hour where students were getting dismissed. They pepper sprayed the

teachers. They also abducted an educator who was also teaching at the school.

And so, I think schools in the district, in Minneapolis Public Schools, just don't feel safe right now. And our teachers are afraid, and our

parents are afraid to send their kids to school, because if that can happen in front of a public school during a dismissal hour, what else will happen?

And this happened just a few hours after Renee was killed in our community.

SCIUTTO: What justification did the ICE agents give for pepper spraying students? I thought the ICE agents were there to find illegal immigrants.

What is their putative role in going to a school and pepper spraying students outside the school?

MOHAMED: That's a great question. They were actually not there to go after undocumented person in our community. What we know is that they were

following a person who was doing legal observation in our community and who had been trained, who has been doing this for several weeks. And the person

felt like that they were following them. That's how they got to the school. And when they did, they just went on and pepper sprayed everybody, took

this young person, broke into their car, and then took a teacher who was also a parateacher at the school.

There hasn't been any justification for any of the things that they've been doing over the last few weeks, but certainly the last 24 hours where they

have only been escalating. This morning, I was at a protest at 7:00 in the morning where there were about a thousand people peacefully protesting in

front of the federal building. And I was there while they pepper sprayed and tear gassed an entire crowd for absolutely no reason.

SCIUTTO: State investigators say the federal investigators are refusing to cooperate with them. Do you believe that a fair investigation of this

deadly shooting is possible now?

MOHAMED: I do not. Not if the case is only in the hand of the federal government. And I say that because the minutes, the hours leading up to the

shooting of Rene, when the community was asking for answers of what happened, how did this happen, the president of the United States went on

TV and said that this person was a paid protester. We saw the vice president of the United States today go on -- do a press conference, press

briefing where he's calling this person a radical leftist without having any evidence to back it up.

And so, I think people in our community have no faith that this federal government will actually investigate this case in a way that's honest, that

brings justice and some answers to the family and to this community that's been grieving for several years.

We also know that Pam Bondi and Kris (ph) Patel -- and Kristi Noem and Kash Patel all work for this federal agent. They're not here to answer to our

constituents, they are only here to answer to this president. And it's really unfortunate that we're in this moment as a community and leaders in

our community, including myself, are asking for our local government and our local investigators to have a serious role in helping investigate this

case, because in order to bring back to the community, we need answers.

SCIUTTO: Where do these protests go from here? There's clearly a great deal of anger, outrage, sadness in the community. Do you see a way to

mediate this at all going forward?

MOHAMED: I mean, the only way to mediate this is by ICE agents, but we also don't see a sight of that in the coming weeks or even months. We

should be less concerned about whether the protests grow from here on, but we should be more concerned about how is this federal government

continuously hiring ICE agents who have no experience. They just hired almost 12,000 ICE agents without any training or vetting.

[18:15:00]

And so, they're having random people coming to our neighborhoods who are wearing ICE agent gears, who don't actually know what they're doing, who

are pepper spraying people. And so, I think the question should not be whether these protests will grow, because community does deserve answers.

But will the ICE agents leave so that we can have some peace and grief, the life that's been lost in our community at the hands of ICE agents? I think

the longer that they are here, the more they are escalating this community.

SCIUTTO: George Floyd, sadly, lost his life just a few blocks, as I understand it, from where this deadly shooting took place. Of course, the

officer involved there was prosecuted, went to -- was convicted and went to prison. This is a different time. Do you see any possibility of justice at

this point, or at least an attempt at justice?

MOHAMED: That's what we're demanding. I don't right now, not with the federal governments that we have. I think in a normal world, the federal

government and the president would say, we don't have the answers. We don't know what happened in the state. We will do a thorough investigation, and

then we will have answers. What we have is a president and leaders who are jumping to conclusions before they have answers, before we even know the

case files.

And so, what we actually -- the community will soon be demanding, once this case is closed, for -- if we don't have the correct -- if we don't have the

right answers or any -- or we don't feel like that this case has been thoroughly investigated, we're going to ask our state agencies to actually

sue the federal government for the files, so that our BCA can do their own investigation into this case, because the family deserves it.

SCIUTTO: Zaynab Mohamed, we do appreciate you joining us this evening.

MOHAMED: Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: Well, Venezuelan government officials have moved to release some political prisoners following an apparent demand by the Trump

administration. We're going to have details on those releases after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: With Nicolas Maduro now gone, Venezuela's government, which includes most of his regime, is set to free a significant number of

political prisoners, that according to the head of the legislature. Spain says at least five of its citizens have already been released. The families

of some of those held staged a demonstration in Caracas back in December. A source says a demand to release political prisoners came from the Trump

administration.

Five Senate Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues to support a resolution limiting President Trump's use of military force in Venezuela

going forward without congressional approval.

[18:20:00]

The president named all five in a Truth Social post saying, Republicans should be ashamed of senators that just voted with Democrats and attempting

to take away our powers to fight and defend the United States.

The full measure will be voted on next week. The House will take a vote on a similar resolution later this month.

Joining me now is Republican member of Congress Darin LaHood. Congressman, thanks so much for taking the time this evening.

REP. DARIN LAHOOD (R-IL): Good to be with you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, you saw five of your Republican colleagues in the Senate vote to move this resolution forward. When a similar resolution comes before the

House, will you vote for it?

LAHOOD: We'll have to see what that looks like when it comes over to the House. We'll see if it passes the Senate next week on that.

I do want to make a distinction here, Jim. I serve on the House Intelligence Committee. I've been involved with briefings before this

happened, over the weekend, and since then I think there's a distinction to be made here that this was a U.S. Department of Justice indictment and

operation. And I was in the classified briefing a couple days ago, and as I have been told all of the facts and circumstances here, I don't believe

this was a violation of the War Powers Act.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you how you come to that conclusion, given that though they were enforcing an arrest warrant in effect here, there were some 150

U.S. aircraft, as you know, ships deployed around the coast. We now know that that members of the U.S. military were injured in this operation and

that dozens of people were killed on the ground, military helicopters. You know better than me all that was involved. How was that not also a military

action?

LAHOOD: Well, first and foremost, when you think about the fact that Maduro and his wife were fugitives, they had been indicted by the Trump

administration and the Biden administration. The Biden administration had put a $25 million bounty on both of them and had sought precautions

necessary, and I think that was done here.

You mentioned people were injured. You know, there were no U.S. servicemen that died in this or were significantly injured. I think there's maybe one

person still in the hospital. Everyone else has been released. I mean, this was a miraculous, precision-type mission that was executed by special

forces by everyone's account. So, I think there's distinctions to be made here, and the fact that we used the force we did, I think was necessary

based on what special operations wanted and needed.

SCIUTTO: I just raised that because that sounds a lot to me like a military action, exercise of military power, even though the putative goal

in the moment was to enforce an arrest warrant.

LAHOOD: Well, again, we can disagree on that fact. When I've listened to Secretary Rubio explain it, and I've listened to Attorney General Bondi and

the CIA director talk about this, you know, this indictment that's been pending for a long time needed to be executed.

And the other point on this too, Jim, is let's remember Iran, China, and Russia essentially used Venezuela as a platform and a base to spy on the

United States, to threaten the United States, and to potentially cause harm to the United States, and that was taken into effect when you think about

the execution of these warrants.

SCIUTTO: President Trump has said repeatedly the U.S. now runs Venezuela. What does that mean?

LAHOOD: Well, frankly, I have concerns about that language. I don't think we should be in the business of running a third world country. Having said

that, you know, it's been, you know, three or four days now since this happened. Maduro and his supporters wanted protests in the streets. None of

that has happened. It is still a very fluid situation, but I think most people are pretty happy that Maduro is gone.

Now, moving forward, there's a lot of things that need to happen here, but the oil that, you know, the U.S. will control in many ways, and the

finances, that leverage is going to be very important moving forward. And we would love a transition to a democracy and a functioning government

there. We're a long ways from that now. But there are no U.S. troops on the ground there. And for now, Secretary Rubio and his team will guide and

dictate how this moves forward.

[18:25:00]

And if you, the example I think is best is the one from Noriega. Now, that was 25, 30 years ago, Jim, but today Panama is one of our best allies in

Central America. We have a national security agreement with them. We use them for lots of intelligence services, and they're an economic partner.

We're a long ways from that, but I think there are examples of how this can work out for the best for Venezuela and the United States.

SCIUTTO: You mentioned future elections. I've been in quite close touch with members of the Venezuelan opposition who expected some role, but now

they're being told, and you heard the president say quite publicly, they don't have the support or respect to the Venezuelan people.

When, as you know, it's widely believed that the Venezuelan opposition is the actual -- was the actual winner of the presidential election in 2024.

Do you agree with, in effect, boxing out the Venezuelan opposition from running the country right now?

LAHOOD: Well, Jim, I think it's hard to determine, quote, "what legitimate" means right now, because there's lots of illegitimacy that's

gone on in Venezuela. I think first things are first. They need to be stable, and I think using the oil revenues -- remember the oil that Russia

was -- I'm sorry, that Venezuela was illegally selling was done on the black market.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

LAHOOD: We now have the ability to put it on the open market. We'll have significant resources from that that can be used to stabilize the country

financially. Let's get it back on its feet and then, again, transition to a functioning democracy. Before Maduro, of course, there was Chavez, but

before that, Venezuela was one of the wealthiest countries in the Western Hemisphere, had a strong democracy, a very educated society. So, there's

many there that still understand that there's hope for Venezuela like they've had in the past.

SCIUTTO: If I could turn to another target of this administration, that being Greenland, perhaps emboldened by success so far in Venezuela. Do you

believe the U.S. should be pressuring a treaty ally in Denmark to give up its sovereign territory?

LAHOOD: I don't think that's the best approach with particularly our -- you know, our involvement with NATO and Denmark. I don't think that's the

best approach. Obviously, there's been a lot of, I think, misinformation out there on this. I, as one member of Congress, have concerns about using

military force to take Greenland. I think many of my colleagues share that same view.

However, I think if President Trump, through a negotiation process, wants to work with Denmark in a collaborative way to potentially buy Greenland, I

mean, I think those type of conversations could be positive for the United States. But anything that involves our military, I think, is not the right

approach. And I think there'll be a lot of resistance to that.

SCIUTTO: Final question, if I can, tonight, and not on this shooting in Minneapolis. Fact is, there's a 37-year-old mother who's now dead, shot

three times. Do you believe, and you heard from the president and the vice president and others, immediately declare that this was a justified

killing? It's our understanding that the FBI is refusing to cooperate with state investigators. Do you believe that this, at a minimum, deserves an

investigation to see whether this killing was necessary?

LAHOOD: Well, it was a tragedy. There's no doubt about it. The loss of life is horrendous, what occurred. Jim, I'm a former state and federal

prosecutor. I've been involved with police shootings in my role as a prosecutor.

Across the country, when police shootings happen, there is an investigation. It's a methodical investigation, and it should be. So, I'm

not going to rush a judgment on this, but there should -- the local authorities there and others need to look into this.

There's a process and a procedure that should be done to look at the facts and evidence. Once that is brought together, there'll be a determination

made by a prosecutor there in Minneapolis on whether they should move forward on this. But I don't think we can rush to judgment on watching a

video or something on social media. There are other facts and evidence that need to be taken into account.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Darin LaHood, we appreciate you taking the tough questions.

LAHOOD: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Thank you. Just ahead, we will have more on what we're learning about that deadly shooting in Minneapolis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief. I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.

State officials in Minnesota say the FBI has blocked them from being part of the investigation into the shooting death of a woman by a federal

immigration agent. A Homeland Security official tells CNN the officer who shot Renee Nicole Good has 10 years of experience with ICE. The 37-year-old

victim was the mother of three.

President Trump says U.S. control over Venezuela could last years. He discussed that question in an interview, a long one with the New York

Times, when asked if U.S. oversight would last for three months, six months, a year or longer. He replied, I would say much longer. The

president set to meet with oil executives at the White House on Friday.

Huge power outages hit parts of Ukraine today after further Russian drone strikes. Energy officials say nearly half a million households were left in

the dark in two southeastern regions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he believes Russia is stepping up winter attacks instead of working toward a

ceasefire. He say it is meant to break Ukraine.

Returning now to our top story, frustration, anger, outrage in Minneapolis after a federal agent shot and killed a woman, a U.S. citizen, on

Wednesday. We see now multiple clashes between protesters and authorities today. Those protesters are now carrying milk after federal agents used

tear gas this morning. Minnesota's governor put the state's National Guard on standby out of an abundance of caution.

A vigil is beginning now at the scene of the shooting, not far from where an ICE operation was taking place. The victim, 37-year-old Renee Nicole

Good, mother of three who had just recently moved to the area. The FBI is blocking Minnesota law enforcement from accessing case materials,

effectively kicking the state out of the investigation.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz warned that Minnesotans warned Minnesotans he's not expecting a fair outcome.

[18:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALZ: They have determined the character of a 37-year-old mom that they didn't even know, don't know. They've determined that the actions are done.

I don't know. I've not used inflammatory terms of what happened. I've asked us to find the answers. The only way we find the answers is a thorough

investigation by non-partisan professionals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Joining me now, legal affairs commentator and civil rights attorney Areva Martin. Thanks so much, Areva. Good to have you.

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, let's presume that federal authorities continue to refuse to share materials with state authorities here. Is there any way for state

authorities to proceed with an investigation?

MARTIN: It's going to be very difficult, Jim. Clearly, if that federal agency violated Minnesota criminal statutes, there would be the probability

or possibility that he could be prosecuted by state prosecuting attorneys. But given that the FBI, the Homeland Security, the federal agents have

decided that the state agencies will have no involvement in the investigation, it's going to be almost impossible to bring a criminal case

against an officer when you don't have access to the very evidence that's needed to investigate the case.

SCIUTTO: Is there a possibility of a civil prosecution, then, if you can't proceed criminally?

MARTIN: No doubt. And I would expect, and as a civil rights lawyer, I hope that there is a civil rights violation, federal violation, filed by Renee

Good's family. Because what we saw on those videos, and clearly an investigation has not been completed, but we have heard several

eyewitnesses say that she was trying to leave the scene, that she was veering away from the officers.

So, I think just even on the face of what we have seen to date, there's enough there for a prima facie case for a civil suit to be filed on behalf

of Renee Good's three children who now are left without a mother.

SCIUTTO: Can state prosecutors or even the family of Good or others take a case to federal court? I mean, does federal court have any jurisdiction

over federal investigators to order them to share these materials or no? Is there no recourse?

MARTIN: Federal courts are not going to order federal law enforcement agencies to turn over information to state prosecuting attorneys or state

agencies that are trying to conduct a criminal investigation. It's just not going to happen. The federal agencies are going to claim supremacy cause

immunity. And in most cases, that's going to be sufficient for that federal court to determine that the federal agency has the jurisdiction over the

investigation.

Now, however, when you get to a civil suit, the stakes are a little different and the rules are different. And that family will be able to go

into federal court, file a civil rights violation, a complaint alleging civil rights violations and use the discovery processes that are available

to civil litigants to seek information and to move forward with the lawsuit for damages.

SCIUTTO: Interesting.

MARTIN: Again, we're not talking about criminal prosecution.

SCIUTTO: Yes. The vice president, J.D. Vance, said earlier that the ICE agent had, quote, absolute immunity. Is there any basis for that statement

or claim?

MARTIN: Well, it's more of the rhetoric that we've seen coming out of this White House. There's probably some truth to the fact that supremacy cause

immunity is going to be asserted by the federal agencies. And in all likelihood, knowing what we know about our federal court system,

particularly our Supreme Court, of the federal agencies -- federal agents and agency is probably going to prevail.

It's unfortunate that the vice president, the president, the Homeland Security secretary have all predetermined the facts of this case without

any, at this point, substantial level of investigation. It's very sad to use words like domestic terrorist for a woman that was just dropping her

six-year-old kid off at school, who's been described as a mother, a poet and a kind and loving U.S. citizen. Important to note, he was not under any

kind of investigation by ICE.

SCIUTTO: And by the way, with statements that are easily controvertible by video proof, for instance, the president said that the agent was injured,

had to be rushed to the hospital. We see him on video walking away, appearing just fine. Areva Martin, thanks so much for joining.

MARTIN: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Well, there's fresh unrest tonight in Iran, including a fire at the state broadcasting office, and here at Bandar Abbas on the southern

coast. Those protests spreading around the country. We'll discuss what happens next right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: There are now large crowds, as you see there, on the streets of Iran's capital, Tehran, as anti-government protests spread. Demonstrators

blocking roads, setting fires in Tehran. In the city of Isfahan in central Iran, the state broadcaster's office was set on fire.

These ongoing protests, driven by economic problems, have claimed the lives of at least 45 people, including eight children. This according to the

Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights. Iranian news outlets have reported at least five Iranian security personnel have been killed. CNN cannot verify

those numbers. Non-state media has been suppressed. Internet access and phone lines have been cut. From the City of Elam, we received this video of

a rally by pro-regime supporters chanting down with Israel.

Joining me now is Firas Maksad from the Eurasia Group, covers the region quite closely. Good to have you, Firas. I wonder, in the simplest terms,

based on what you're seeing, is it possible the Iranian regime is in danger of falling as a result of these protests?

FIRAS MAKSAD, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA MANAGING DIRECTOR, EURASIA GROUP: Well, Jim, we've seen these protests before. Iran has been rocked

by protests for the past decade. In 2009, we had the Green Movement, popular uprising against the government and the regime as a result of

electoral fraud at the time. Then we had the Women, Life, Liberty -- Freedom movement, I should say, in 2022, 2023. So, this is not the first

time that these grievances manifest on the streets of Iranian cities.

I think what's different this time, though, is the broader regional context. Iran has been significantly weakened on the back end of October

7th as a result of Israel, with U.S. support and assistance, degrading Iran's regional posture, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Assad

regime in Syria. So, yes, I think the people of Iran are feeling emboldened against their regime.

The regime feels weak. And I should also add that there's a dimension to this that has to do with what recently transpired in Venezuela, which was

also, again, a primary ally and supporter of the regime in Tehran.

So, is it enough? Will 2026 be the year of a perfect storm that finally knocks down the Iranian regime and powers the Iranian people in the

streets? I think that's a fair question for all of us to be asking right now.

[18:45:00]

SCIUTTO: You know, I was there in 2009 for those protests. And the sad fact is that after those protests faded and when the government retained

control, it sent a lot of those kids to prison and worse. And I think it's worth emphasizing, right, the enormous risk that protesters are taking now.

MAKSAD: They certainly are. And one of those things that caught my attention is that the regime hasn't yet brought brute force to bear against

these protesters in ways that they have done in the past. The regime still has quite a bit of an ability through the Basij, through the IRGC, the

various militias that works for them that remain on payroll to quash these protests.

We don't know yet whether that's a source of or a reflection of regime weakness, whether there are differences, that there are hesitancies within

the regime. Certainly, President Trump echoing, at least on two occasions right now, that if the regime does resort to killing its own people, the

U.S. will come bearing pressure on Iran. We don't know if that's having an impact in Iran right now. But certainly, the regime has the ability still

to bring much coercion to the streets.

And what you refer to in your report is, I think, the first tool in the toolbox here is to bring pro-regime elements that are paid and bused into

the streets in terms of counter protests to try and push back. So, that we are beginning --

SCIUTTO: Yes, I've seen a lot of orchestrated pro-government protests in my time covering Iran. The president, as you noted, said that, you know,

listen, if they target protesters, that the U.S. might intervene in some way. Is it clear exactly how? Does the U.S. have actual influence on the

course of events as relates to these protests?

MAKSAD: The U.S. does not have influence on the ground. However, what is said from the podium in Washington does echo in the streets of Tehran and

around the world. It's been -- caught my attention to see some protesters put up stickers and flyers covering the names of streets in Tehran and

elsewhere by that of Donald Trump. So, clearly, there's an impact there. But ultimately, again, it's going to be the people of Iran that are going

to determine the fate of this regime.

I'm often reminded that, you know, revolutions are political earthquakes and it's difficult to predict the exact timing of earthquakes. We know when

all the conditions are there, when we're overdue for one. And so, in many ways, Iran can be overdue for a political earthquake in 2026, but we just

don't know if this is it or not yet, Jim.

SCIUTTO: To your point, no one saw 1979 coming, right? I mean, the CIA, I think, assessed quite soon before that, that, oh, the Shah is just fine. I

mean, the difference in this one, right, from previous ones, if you look at 2009 or even the ones that followed the death of the female protester

regarding hijabs, is the economic portion here, that the country's economy is truly suffering. And that touches everyone, right? You know, whether

you're political or not political, you're suffering from this collapsing currency. And I wonder if you think that makes a difference in these

circumstances.

MAKSAD: It's making a world of difference because the people came out to the streets first and foremost driven by economic grievances that are then

taken on also political, political nature and political grievances. But the regime here does not seem to have an answer to these, to the economic,

environmental, social, political degradation that the country is currently facing.

What they're doing in response to these protests is offering to hand out more money, direct cash to many Iranians. And we all know, anybody who

understands basic economics, that that's only going to feed into further inflation and hyperinflation down the road.

So, we see the regime going down a vicious cycle. And while they're capable, they're brilliant at managing dissent, quashing dissent if they

have to, they can't seem to find a solution to Iran's chronic problems.

SCIUTTO: Well, someone in this country offering cash handouts as well. Faris Maksad, thanks so much for joining.

MAKSAD: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, Cuba is now looking for help after losing its oil exporting ally, the government of Nicolas Maduro. Why Mexico is proving

crucial for the island after the toppling of the Venezuelan strongman.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, a mixed day on Wall Street. The Dow in the green. Weakness, however, in tech. Investors

awaiting the latest U.S. jobs report set for release on Friday. They're also bracing for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the legality of President

Trump's tariffs, that might also be released on Friday.

President Trump said in an interview with the New York Times that it will take years for the Venezuelan oil industry to fully recover. Trump is set

to meet with oil executives on Friday to discuss the way forward and U.S. involvement. The White House says companies are eager to invest. There have

been some public questions as to how eager they are.

The Trump administration hopes the removal of Nicolas Maduro will hasten the collapse as well of the government in Cuba. Venezuela was a key

supplier of oil to Cuba, offering the island a critical financial lifeline. With Maduro out, it needs Mexico's energy now more than ever. Valeria Leon

has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After several attempts, Helene (ph) walked out from her native Cuba, an island marked by rolling

blackouts. Now, in Mexico, the memory of those long nights stays with her.

She explains that blackouts have always been part of life in Cuba, but says that since 2019, they started to last entire days. And when the pandemic

hit, things got even worse.

The crisis didn't just turn off the lights. It closed doors. With the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan oil aid to Cuba was cut off, making

Mexico's help with fuel to the island essential.

In 2025, Mexico sent more than 12,000 barrels a day to Cuba, nearly half of the island's crude consumption.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think it's just going to fall. I don't think we need any action. It looks like it's going down. It's going down

for the count.

LEON (voice-over): President Claudia Sheinbaum defending Mexico's oil shipments, saying that for years, oil has been sent to Cuba under contracts

and as humanitarian aid.

The impact isn't just diplomatic. Energy analysts said these shipments are valuable and could affect Mexico's own drilling domestic supply.

Jaime Britto (ph) estimated that last year about 15 ships were sent to Cuba between May and June, adding that this amounts to roughly 10 million

barrels of crude, worth close to $800 million.

Still, experts in the region see a huge risk for Mexico in its current Cuba policy.

Ricardo Pascoe (ph) said Mexico's oil support for Cuba is worth billions and directly clashes with Washington's push for influence in Latin America.

And yet, Helene (ph) points to what she calls a contradiction. Even with the steady supply of Mexican oil to Cuban shores, the energy crisis hasn't

let up. She argues that Mexico's help ends up favoring the regime, not the people. As the flow of oil continues, so does the pressure as energy

becomes a new frontline in the region's power struggle.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[18:55:00]

SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines. U.S. defense stocks rallied Thursday after President Trump proposed a 50 percent

increase in the already enormous U.S. military budget. Trump saying in a Truth Social post, he's in favor of raising U.S. defense spending to one

and a half trillion dollars next year. But the U.S. defense spending is not going anywhere. President cited, quote, "troubled and dangerous times."

Artificial intelligence firm Character.AI. and Google have agreed to settle lawsuits filed by families who accuse chatbots of harming young people. One

of the cases filed by a Florida mother whose 14-year-old son took his own life nearly two years ago. The suit alleges the teen developed a deep

relationship with Character.AI bots before his death.

New numbers show the U.S. trade deficit dropped to its lowest level since 2009. The deficit fell by some 40 percent in October due to a decline in

imports in the United States and a rise in exports. Imports of consumer goods fell by $14 billion, likely due to higher tariffs.

Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

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