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U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker as Pressure Campaign Build Against Maduro; Democrats' Plan to Extend ACA Subsidies Fails in the Senate; Judge Orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia be Release from ICE Custody Immediately; Democrats Condemn Homeland Secretary Noem Over Immigration Crackdown; Defense Rests in Brian Walshe Murder Trial. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired December 11, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: A major escalation caught on camera. Dramatic new video showing U.S. forces descending from a helicopter, seizing a tanker off of Venezuela's coast. Any minute we're expecting to hear directly from the White House. We're going to bring you their remarks on this tanker takeover.

And Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case became a flashpoint for the administration's immigration crackdown. Now a federal judge has ordered the man, who at one point was deported by mistake, be released from ICE custody immediately.

We're following the latest in his case.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And shockwaves through the sports world. University of Michigan's head football coach jailed hours after being fired for what the school calls an inappropriate relationship.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: We're seeing dramatic new video today of the U.S. seizing an oil tanker as Venezuela now issues a blistering response calling this action, quote, international piracy. This follows weeks of actions that have escalated tensions in the region. U.S. troops have repositioned as controversial boat strikes continue. And the president floats the idea of attacks on land. CNN's Alayna Treene leads us off at the White House as the press briefing is set to begin momentarily. Alayna, what are you hearing about this takeover?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, look, there are definitely going to be a lot of questions, Boris, in this briefing for Karoline Leavitt about this. Because it is a significant escalation of the president and also his broader Trump administration trying to put the squeeze on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. And I thought those images that we saw in that video posted by the attorney general last night of the U.S. military personnel rappelling down from the helicopter, storming the deck of this tanker, guns drawn, were so remarkable to see. Now, Bondi also said that this tanker had been under U.S. sanctions

for years now because they had been shipping oil from Venezuela to Iran, saying that it violated U.S. law and international laws. But what was interesting about this entire surprise mission is that the word of it actually came from the president himself yesterday when talking to reporters. It wasn't very much clear. He didn't offer many details about why this mission and why now.

But he did answer about what he thinks will happen to the oil. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happens to the oil now on that ship?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we keep it, I guess.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where does it go? What port does it go to?

TRUMP: Well, you have to follow the tanker. You know, you're a good newsman. Just follow the tanker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, as you mentioned, Boris, we were hearing a lot of criticism from Venezuela and their leadership arguing that this is an act of international piracy, that this is really a goal of the administration trying to seize some of Venezuela's most richest resources, oil, of course, being among the highest of them. What is interesting, though, is in talking to legal experts, because they noted that this was a mission by the Coast Guard in conjunction with the FBI and Homeland Security and Defense Department. They said that this was legal and by the book.

It was also only made possible because of the massive U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, actually the biggest and largest U.S. military buildup in that region for decades. So all of that likely to be very prominently focused on during this briefing that's about to kick off any moment now.

SANCHEZ: Alayna Treene, we know you'll be watching it closely for us. Thank you so much -- Brianna.

KEILAR: We have some breaking news. The Senate is voting right now on Democrats' plan to extend Obamacare subsidies for three years. A Republican plan to expand health savings account eligibility just failed moments ago.

And here in just a matter of weeks, health care premiums will be jumping as those subsidies are expiring. Without a deal, more than two million more people are expected to go uninsured next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which, of course, is nonpartisan. CNN's Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill.

[13:05:00]

Arlette, where do things go from here?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, that is the big question. As both of these plans were expected to fail, and now there's the question of, is there any hope for bipartisan talks to actually pick up steam? Now, the vote in the Senate just completed on that Democratic plan.

It failed to advance, but they did get three Republicans to side with them. And that was Senator Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Dan Sullivan. Collins told reporters earlier that she would be voting in favor of advancing that Democratic proposal, which extended Obamacare subsidies for three years, because she wanted to just get on a bill, and then they could focus on amendments to try to get to some type of bipartisan compromise.

But right now, there's no assurance that lawmakers will be able to reach some bipartisan agreements as the clock is quickly winding down to that December 31st deadline. I spoke with Democrats and Republicans this morning, and they really did not have a clear path forward, as they argued both parties needed to come to the table. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): What they ought to look at, they ought to look at Democrats and say, you created this system, right? Health care costs weren't going up like this when Obamacare was passed. You created this system, you should fix it.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Right now, they're at their kitchen tables as we speak, trying to decide whether they can afford health insurance, and right now they can't. So I'll go for any compromise, literally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even Crapo-Cassidy?

BLUMENTHAL: I'm sorry?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even Crapo-Cassidy?

BLUMENTHAL: No. Because that's not a compromise. It's not extending the health care subsidies. And I will not go for a so-called compromise that includes restrictions on reproductive rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, while this has been playing out in the Senate, there are still concerns about what would happen over in the House. House GOP leadership has talked to their Republican conference about various proposals they could put forward, none of them addressing the underlying issue of those expiring Obamacare subsidies. But there are a host of moderate Republican lawmakers who want to see action on those subsidies.

They have banded together with various Democrats to present multiple proposals. There are also a few lawmakers who have filed discharge petitions to try to force a vote on their health care plans that would extend those Obamacare subsidies. There's one that's been filed by a Republican, another by a Democrat.

Right now, it's unclear whether Democrats might get on board with those. But it does appear that there is Republican traction from some of those moderates who are worried about these prices, premiums going up in the coming year, especially as they're staring down those 2026 midterm elections.

KEILAR: All right, Arlette. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer just responding. Let's listen.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: Here to understand just what happened on the Senate floor. Senate Republicans just shoved the American people off the side of a cliff. With no parachute and with an anchor tied to their feet.

Republicans just blocked the Democrats bill for a clean, simple extension of the ACA tax credits. The last chance they had to ensure people's premiums do not skyrocket in the coming months. Democrats did the work, but now Republicans chose the consequences.

KEILAR: And Arlette, going back to Arlette's Saenz there on the Hill, I guess the question, Arlette, is this going to be a situation where people see their premiums skyrocket and Congress is ultimately forced to do something, maybe in the new year?

SAENZ: Yes, that certainly could be the case. We know that there have been these bipartisan talks happening behind the scene. What's unclear is whether they might be able to move the needle in the coming week.

Remember, lawmakers are set to go out for their holiday recess at the end of next week. So if there's no resolution, those Obamacare subsidies will expire and premiums will go up. Now, earlier today, I asked Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

She is one of those Democratic senators who's been talking with senators across the aisle about potential fixes to this. She said -- told me that she hopes that after these votes, that will really help bipartisan talks pick up some steam. But she did acknowledge that it's likely they won't be able to get to some type of solution on this until January, given the timetable of how this has all played out.

KEILAR: Well, that will be some pressure, though, on them in January for sure. Arlette, thank you for the report from the Hill.

Still to come, a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem fielding lawmakers' questions on key threats facing the nation. We have takeaways on her appearance there.

Plus, Brian Walshe, the man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife, does not ultimately take the stand in his murder trial. So now, what comes next?

Then later, a widespread weather threat across the Pacific Northwest. Washington state's governor warning of life-threatening conditions as floodwaters continue to rise.

Stay with CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

[13:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It is a blockbuster development from the federal courts. A judge ordering the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who gained worldwide attention after the Trump administration wrongfully deported him to El Salvador last spring. Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S. months later and has been held in detention since then. We have CNN correspondent Priscilla Alvarez here with these breaking details. Why did the judge order this release?

[13:15:00]

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's been a lot of back and forth in this front legal battle between the federal judge and the Justice Department as to where exactly are you going to deport him and when. Now, the administration has been pushing to send him to countries in Africa, far-flung countries he has no ties to, while Costa Rica at the same time said they'd be willing to receive him and give him protections there.

And Costa Rica is a destination that his attorneys say he is willing to go to be deported to. So that has been a puzzling development in this case over these multiple hearings with the judge asking the administration, if you have Costa Rica as an option, why not just send him there? And she talks and reflects about this in her opinion.

She said, quote, Respondents did not just stonewall -- this is respondents being the government there -- they affirmatively misled the tribunal. They announced that Liberia is the only viable removal option because Costa Rica, quote, does not wish to receive him and that Costa Rica will no longer, quote, accept the transfer of him. But Costa Rica had never wavered in its commitment to receive Abrego Garcia, just as Abrego Garcia never wavered in his commitment to resettle there.

I think that really sums it up. Essentially, the Trump administration wants to send him to Africa. That's what they've been saying in court and in court filings.

But the federal judge is saying, why? If you have another country that's willing to receive him and that he said he's willing to go to. So now she's ordering his immediate release.

That is something that judges can do. They can order officials to release detained migrants if their removal is not imminent, which appears to be the case here in the absence of more information. And laid out that she wants the government to respond to her by 5 p.m. today about the that they are taking to do exactly that. Now, the Department of Homeland Security did respond. They say quote, "This is naked judicial activism by an Obama appointed judge. This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in court." So we'll continue to watch for any court filings. I will note, Brianna, there are conditions to his release. He has to remain in the custody of his brother in Maryland.

He cannot leave the state. He cannot leave the home unless it's for medical reasons, court proceedings and the rest. So there are constraints to his release from ICE detention.

But certainly, this is a remarkable development in a case that's been ongoing for months now and has led to a lot of tense back and forth between the federal judge and the Justice Department.

KEILAR: Yes, very significant update there. Priscilla, thank you very much -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Turning to today's intense House hearing on Capitol Hill, top homeland security officials giving their assessments of worldwide threats against the United States. But DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has also been facing hours of outcry from House Democrats. Some called on her to resign as they condemn the immigration crackdown that they say has expanded far beyond violent criminals.

They also cited reports of American citizens being caught up in the sweeps. Here was the secretary's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Individuals that are in that area may be detained until we verify who they are, and then they are released. This has been done for years, and every single law enforcement operation that has always happened, we follow the same protocols, and we continue to do that. We have never once detained or deported an American citizen.

We have not held them and charged them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not true.

NOEM: When we find out and verify their identity, then that is when they are released.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood has been following all of this for us. Some fiery exchanges today, Kylie.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Some fiery exchanges, but really very little detail when it comes to the global threats that the United States is facing. Most of the focus was on the administration's immigration policy, with Republicans saying that they like what the administration is doing for secure borders, focusing on what they call America's backyard, Latin America, to, you know, the focus that they've had there.

But then with Democrats really going after the DHS secretary, saying that she is using agency funds for her personal vanity. Saying that the immigration crackdown is going after good people and highlighting some people who have been targeted in this immigration crackdown by the administration who they essentially believe shouldn't have been caught up at all in all of these efforts because they don't have a track record that would indicate that they should be kicked out of the country.

I want you to listen to one exchange where a Congressman Magaziner was specifically putting a highlight on one of these individuals who he believed should not have actually been caught up in all of this. Listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SETH MAGAZINER (D-RI) HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: He was arrested in the 1990s for some minor drug offenses, nothing serious. He never hurt anyone besides himself, and he's been clean and sober for 14 years. He is a combat veteran, a Purple Heart recipient.

He has sacrificed more for this country than most people ever have. Earlier this year, you deported him to Korea, a country he hasn't lived in since he was seven years old. Will you join me in thanking Mr. Park for his service to our country?

NOEM: Sir, I'm grateful for every single person that has served our country --

MAGAZINER: You are locking up and deporting children with cancer, mothers with babies in the NICU, United States citizens. The biggest problem is this. You don't seem to know how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:20:00]

ATWOOD: Now, one thing that I do want to point out, the FBI director was not present at this hearing today. Usually they are. There was an FBI official who was there.

One of the things that they put a focus on was that America's critical infrastructure remains a very susceptible target to hackers from around the globe. But when he was asked about the primary domestic threat that the United States faces right now, he noted that it is the left-wing group Antifa. But then when asked for some very specific follow-up questions on that, he was effectively left speechless.

He wasn't able to describe to the lawmaker where that group is actually based in the United States, how many members it has, some really basic questions that a member from the FBI who was sitting before these members of Congress should be able to answer.

SANCHEZ: Kylie Atwood thank you so much for that update.

Still ahead, the defense arresting its case and the man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife. Brian Walshe will not testify in his trial. What this signals ahead of deliberations. Also, sources say a task force created a push for sweeping changes

that FEMA has abruptly postponed today's meeting. CNN has exclusive reporting on what they're expecting to recommend.

Those details and more next.

[13:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It was a dramatic and shocking end of testimony today in the Brian Walshe murder trial. The defense, after saying that they would only call one witness to the stand, the defendant himself, Brian Walshe, suddenly reversed course, telling the judge actually Walshe would not testify, then unexpectedly resting its case. Here is that bombshell moment from the courtroom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDGE DIANE FRENIERE, MASSACHUSETTS SUPERIOR COURT: As an initial matter, does the defense still intend to call Mr. Walshe today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not.

FRENIERE: You do not? Is the defense intend to call any other witnesses?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not.

FRENIERE: All right. Have you made a decision about whether you wish to testify at this trial?

BRIAN WALSHE, MURDER DEFENDANT: Yes, I have.

FRENIERE: And what is your decision?

WALSHE: I will not testify.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: The defense apparently had conditions for Walshe's testimony, specifically that the jury be told he pleaded guilty to improperly disposing of his wife's remains and misleading police ahead of the trial. The judge refused to do that, though. Now closing arguments are set to begin tomorrow.

Walshe is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole if he's convicted. The Massachusetts father of three claims he didn't kill his wife, Ana, but instead he found her inexplicably dead in their bedroom on New Year's Day back in 2023.

Let's talk about this with Midas Touch legal analyst Dina Doll. All right, Dina, what did you think about this back and forth? We were thinking he would testify and then all of a sudden learning, no, he wasn't going to. DINA DOLL, LEGAL ANALYST: We've had a few big surprises in this case, and this was certainly one of them. His attorney in the opening statements kind of alluded to the fact that we might hear from him because he said that Walshe came upon her body and he was shocked and then ended up not knowing what to do with it. The only person who could kind of testify to being shocked was Walshe himself.

So we thought he was going to testify, but it turns out he's not.

KEILAR: So part of this issue was the defense wanting the jury to know what he had pleaded guilty to, the disposal of her body. Unbeknownst to the jury, he had pled guilty to this. They do not know that.

We know that. They don't know that. Why wouldn't the jury be allowed to know that?

DOLL: Well, you know, you never want to introduce evidence that is going to lead them to believe that he's guilty of this crime, right? He's on trial for murder, not on trial anymore for the dismemberment and disposal of her body. Any prior separate crimes, or even here because it's connected, you don't want the jury to get influenced by any guilty plea or any other conviction.

So that's why this one was kept separate. So that way they could really just decide on the murder charge and not be swayed by that guilty plea.

KEILAR: I wonder, Dina, how a jury responds to this, because during opening statements, Walshe's attorney is telling them they're going to hear evidence about how he found his wife dead in their bed and evidence about the medical field's perspective on sudden, unexplained deaths in seemingly healthy individuals. They only could have heard the first thing from him, and they haven't now. Where do they go with that?

DOLL: Brianna, I think you've got the exact issue that is a problem with a defense attorney or any attorney in the beginning, saying that the jury is going to hear something and then not following through. At the end of the day, the entire credibility of Walshe's case lands with the lawyer, because the lawyer is the spokesperson, let's say, for him. And so for him to say one thing to the jury or kind of lead them to believe they were going to hear certain evidence and then not do it, it definitely hurts the credibility not only of the lawyer, but really the entire case.

That's something you never want to do as a lawyer. And so they had to probably make that calculus that him testifying was going to be worse than him not, but still, that did not help them.

KEILAR: Yes, what a moment. Dina Doll, thank you so much -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: We want to head over to the White House now for some breaking news. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is being asked about this oil tanker taken over by the United States off the coast of Venezuela. She was asked specifically whether this pressure campaign by the Trump administration on Venezuela.