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CNN International: Families Identify Four Kidnapped Americans in Mexico; U.S. Aviation Safety in Spotlight After String of Incidents; California Braces for More Snow as Condition Worsen; The Fierce Battle for Bakhmut; China Warns of Conflict if U.S. Does Not Hit the Brakes; The Fierce Battle for Bakhmut. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired March 07, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster joining you live from London. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These Americans were on the Mexican side of the border getting a medical procedure, buying medicine and that they were caught in a confrontation between two groups.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would have told him don't go any further.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More close calls on the ground and more runway incursions recently. Experts say are indications of an overloaded system.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, the whole plane just went zzzz, just a pretty big shake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They accuse the United States of plotting to create an Asia-Pacific version of NATO that could risk a repeat of a Ukraine-like crisis breaking out in the region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

FOSTER: It is Tuesday, March 7, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 3:00 a.m. in eastern Texas and Matamoros, Mexico. Where investigators from the U.S. and Mexico are working to track down four Americans believed to have been kidnapped by a Mexican cartel.

NOBILO: We've now learned the names of those for Americans. Two families in South Carolina have identified them as Latavia McGee and Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodward. The fourth person right now is only identified as Eric. A relative contacted the FBI on Sunday as soon as she found out that the group is missing. They haven't spoken to their loved ones in days and are hoping for the best.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZALAYNA GRANT, ZENDELL BROWN'S SISTER: I felt a little uneasy because I told them I had a dream, you know, so I'm just checking on you. That's what I told them Thursday. And then right after Friday morning, I texted and I didn't get anything.

CHRISTINA HICKSON, ZINDELL BROWN'S MOTHER: The waiting is the worst part. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but however no news is good news. That is the way I'm staying with it. No news is good news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Mexican officials say that they have activated federal and local resources to find the missing Americans. CNN's Josh Campbell has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Special agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of investigation are working with authorities in Mexico to locate four Americans who were kidnapped after traveling Friday from Texas into Mexico. The FBI says that a group opened fire on these Americans eventually taking them captain.

Now a U.S. official familiar with the investigation tells me this appears to be a case of mistaken identity, that law enforcement believed that group of cartel members mistook these Americans for Haitian drug smugglers. As far as why the Americans were there, a source tells me officials believe that they were there to obtain some type of medical procedure. Of course, it is not uncommon Americans and Canadians to travel to Mexico for example, for a lower cost prescription drugs, for lower cost medical procedures. That source told me that officials found inside the vehicle receipts indicating that there was some type of medical procedure that was planned.

Now I want to show you this video. I'll warn our viewers that this is graphic. But you are about to see a source says this is the aftermath of the incident where you see gunmen taking a group of people, putting them in the back of this white truck. CNN cannot independently confirm that those individuals being loaded in the vehicle are indeed the Americans. But again, a source says that this is believed to be related to that incident.

As far as where this goes next, the Mexican government says that all agencies within the federal government as well as state authorities are working with their U.S. partners in order to try to locate these Americans. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the location of these Americans as well as the identification of their captors.

Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NOBILO: The U.S. State Department is assisting the FBI and other

agencies involved in the kidnapping investigation and says that Americans should not travel to this part of Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: We're standing ready to provide all appropriate counselor assistance. We do also remind Americans about the existing travel guidance when it comes to this particular part of Mexico, the travel advisory for Tamaulipas state remains at level 4, do not travel. We encourage Americans to heed that advice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Law enforcement experts say cartels are active in Matamoros but there are options to get help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[04:05:00]

JOHN MILLER, FORMER NYPD DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERTERRORISM: The FBI has no legal authority on the ground, they can't run the case. But what they can do is leverage the relationships that they have on the ground with the Mexican Federal Police, with the state police, with other agencies. And there are other agencies there on the ground at the embassy who work through the ambassador. You've got CIA, you've got NSA, you've got DEA, you've got a lot of resources that can be brought to bear and information that can be fed to Mexican authorities that can help them get to who's behind this, what's behind this, where they are.

You've got a really dynamic picture on that border. So, picture Brownsville, Texas, right, picture the Rio Grand, and then you've got Matamoros right on the other side of that border. This is a town where you've got immigrants being run by smugglers who are coming up from South America, from Central America, and from Mexico where the Gulf cartel along with its drug business has an entire network that brings those people across the border.

Now you also have immigrants from Haiti who are being smuggled in through Central America and up into Mexico and Haitian networks that are trying to bring them across as well. The Gulf cartel does not like outsiders, does not like competition, does not like anybody who's not kicking back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Officials in Rochester, New York are investigating the deaths of two people caught in a stampede at a concert. Eight others were injured. Police say a large crowd started pushing toward the exits Sunday night. A lot of people say they heard what sounded like gunshots.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Going toward the door to leave out and everybody started rushing back so we started running and falling and everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doing a lot of pushing and shoving. I unfortunately was one that was on the ground. Thank God I did get up. But you know everybody wasn't so fortunate. It was a different experience. It was very scary. I never been through nothing like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: The city's mayor says it's still too early to say what led to the incident. Authorities are investigating what the proper safety measures were actually followed.

And there is growing concern about aviation safety in the U.S. after a series of incidents both in the air and on the ground. Latest happened during a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston on Monday, a man allegedly tried to open an emergency exit door midflight before attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon.

FOSTER: That man, Francisco Severo Torres, was tackled by other passengers, zip tied -- according to a woman on the flight -- and then immediately taken into custody once the plane landed. Torres told law enforcement he was trying to defend himself because he believed the flight attendants were trying to kill him. We have been doing a lot of these types of stories.

NOBILO: We certainly have.

FOSTER: It's a safe form of travel.

NOBILO: Yes, so you keep telling me. I always make sure that I have something that can subdue an unruly passenger on my person and of course TSA approved -- every time I fly.

Meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a collision between two United Airline flights at Boston Logan Airport. The wing of one jet clipped the tail of another just before takeoff. A passenger on board one of those planes described that harrowing moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN NEUSCH, PASSENGER: We were just loading everybody on the plane and then we just -- the whole plane started shaking and there was a plane that pulled out of another gate, a tug was pushing it back and the winglets on that plane clipped the back wing on our plane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you say shake, can you describe what it felt like?

NEUSCH: I me, the whole plane went like, zzzzz, yes, it was just a pretty big shake.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FOSTER: Now another one runway incident is under investigation as well. This one from the state of Florida on February 16. An American Airlines flight was forced to abort an initial landing because an Air Canada flight was taking off from the same runway. CNN's Tom Foreman looks at other recent near disasters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An engine bursting into flames, smoke filling the cabin, and an emergency landing. It is all alarming to passengers on this Southwest flight from Cuba to Florida, which the airline says had been turn back after hitting birds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just feel the explosion. A lot of smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were screaming not knowing what to do, and they kept trying to breathe, and it's filling up with more smoke, and it's very acidy.

FOREMAN (voice-over): In Boston, a trifecta of trouble. Federal authorities say a man attempted to open an exit door on a United jet coming from Los Angeles, and allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon, before being tackled by other passengers.

[04:10:00]

On the ground, two departing passenger planes collided as one of them was pushed back from its gate. And all of that is just a week after a near collision there between two other jets, one a private Learjet taking off, the other a commercial jet landing. Aviation analysts say airports are struggling with this rash of hits and near collisions.

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: They've developed a lot of equipment runway alerting systems, and they have a lot of advisory programs. But despite all the efforts, runway incursions are increasing. The statistics are headed the wrong way and it is the most dangerous thing in aviation today.

FOREMAN (voice-over): And, still more trouble. Last week, a Lufthansa plane carrying, among others, actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camilla, ran into severe turbulence.

She posted. I was told the plane dropped almost 4,000 feet. Seven people went to the hospital.

A different passenger told Erin for Outfront --

JAZZ KANTIPUDI, PASSENGER: Suddenly, there was just like this big drop and everything just flew everywhere and it was a huge mess. And I saw the attendant on my right basically hit the ceiling and was completely horizontal.

TOWER: This the tower with a medical emergency landing runway six.

FOREMAN (voice-over): And, in yet another case of violent turbulence, a private jet over New England was hit so hard one of the three passengers, a woman from Maryland, died.

TOWER: Only information I have abut the emergency is possible laceration requesting medical assistance on the runway.

FOREMAN (voice-over): The National Transportation Safety Board says moments before the turbulence that plane also experienced a problem with its trim control.

JENNIFER HOMENDY, NTSB CHAIR: They were in the process of diagnosing that when they received momentary in-flight upset. And so, this is something we are investigating.

FOREMAN: Some of these incidents may just be coincidences, some may point to deeper problems. But they all underscore how the airline industry is still stumbling long a bit as it tries to bounce back from some trying years.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Conditions across the U.S. have been either hot or cold over the past few week -- I feel like I've got meteorological experience. With record high for the month of February in some places and winter storms elsewhere. At least 13 million Americans were under winter weather alerts on Monday.

FOSTER: Government forecasters are predicting even more changes as a cold snap could bring snow as low as the southern Appalachian Mountains. States in the southeast could be in for a rude awakening with abnormally warm temperatures set to plunge at least 15 degrees.

Meanwhile, California continues to bear the brunt of winter storms, with nearly two weeks of snow that hasn't melted in some areas, some counties are declaring local emergencies due to the impact of those storms. And more snow is on the way.

NOBILO: In the coming hours, northern parts of the state can could see up to 3 feet of snow. Meantime trapped residents of Southern California are getting desperate now as they wait for government help. Tensions are starting to run high. CNN's Camila Bernal has more from San Bernardino County.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Residents here are still frustrated and so upset just because of how long this entire process is taking. There are people here that have been at their homes for more than ten days without being able to leave, without access to food, a grocery store, a pharmacy.

Here behind me is the only grocery store in town and the roof collapsed because there was so much snow accumulated at the top of the grocery store that it no longer is open. And so, people have to rely on donations. This community is coming together as you can see here behind me, they

brought firewood and the problem is that I talked to other people who told me, look, I can't even turn on my fireplace because there is so much snow. So the ones that can, they are here trying to get anything they can to make their lives a little bit easier.

I've talked to people who are stuck higher up in the mountains who tell me, look, I can't even make it to the places where they are giving out these donations. And so that frustration just accumulates day after day after day. Here's what some of the residents have told me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There has been 13 -- this will be 14 days. And, yes, we had a full freezer and refrigerator. And they are getting down there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm fairing feeling frustrated and I feel like I'm in prison. It's scary, it's frustrating and it's frightening. And it's mostly -- just gets my anxiety going up more so that I cannot control obviously.

BERNAL: And we've seen people coming for donations all day long. There is food here being offered, water bottles, formula, food for pets. That was one of the concerns that I kept hearing over and over again. People who say look, I'm running out of a lot of supplies and I don't know how many more days that I can go without all of the supplies and the food.

[04:15:00]

Authorities saying that they are making progress. They say that so far, they've been able to essentially clear about 85 percent of the roads in this area. The problem is there is a lot of side streets that are still blocked off because of the snow and many of the residents telling me that that is why they can't leave their homes. They are wanting for this entire process to move a little bit faster, but as of now authorities are saying that they have to wait.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Crestline, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is asking a judge to block a grand jury subpoena for his testimony about January 6. A source claims that he is -- a source says that he claims to be protected by the Constitution's speech or debate clause.

FOSTER: And former president Trump also wants to block Pence's testimony claiming executive privilege. The special counsel investigating Trump wants to hear about Pence's interactions with Trump leading up to the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol.

Now investors will be keeping and eye on Congress this week, as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell meets with lawmakers. He will testify before the Senate Banking Committee today and House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. Powell is expected to defend the Fed's string of rate hikes meant to curb inflation.

NOBILO: His testimony is certain to move the markets especially if he hints at more belt tightening. As you can see right now, things are looking good.

Florida lawmakers return to work today and Republicans in the Sunshine State are anxious to deliver on the culture wars agenda of Governor DeSantis, that's coming up ahead.

FOSTER: Plus, China takes a swipe after swipe at the U.S. from the sidelines of a major political event while warning of catastrophic consequences.

NOBILO: And later, the fierce battle for Bakhmut as Ukraine pledges to continue to defend the battered city with an ongoing and urgent effort to evacuate civilians who are still trapped.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the last successful emergency evacuation mission by the Bakhmut police. We need to go faster, an officer says. The Russians can clearly see us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: The National Peoples Congress is under way in China but today it comments from sidelines that are capturing the most attention. The new Chinese foreign minister came out swinging.

FOSTER: Yes, he warned that conflict is inevitable if the U.S. doesn't change course. He accused the U.S. of trying to change China's development and called relations with Russia imperative. Let's bring in Kristie Lu Stout monitoring the conference from Hong Kong. So really provocative language for many in the West point of view, I guess.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well very provocative with China effectively blaming the U.S. for the frayed relationship. Earlier today on the sidelines of the National Peoples Congress in Beijing, we did hear from the China's new foreign minister Qin Gang and amid just worsening relations between China and the West. He issued some very, very strong words. You know, for example, he said that the United States was plotting an Asia-Pacific version of NATO which would risk a repeat of a Ukraine style crisis in the region. And he also had this warning directed squarely at the U.S. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QIN GANG, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): If the United States does not hit the brake but continue to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing. And there will surely be conflict and confrontation. (END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, on the war in Ukraine, Qin Gang, China's new foreign minister, said that peace talks should take place as soon as possible. He also added that China did not supply weapons to either side. In regard to Taiwan he said China should not be underestimate. That it's a matter for the Chinese people and that China would work for peaceful reunification.

Now we also heard very interesting comments from Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday in which he directly accused the U.S. and its allies of containment. Let's bring up the statement for you. He made that statement to a group of Chinese entrepreneurs at a business meeting.

And he said: The U.S.-led western countries have implemented all-round containment, envelopment and suppression against us which has brought unprecedented severe challenges to China's development. Unquote.

With this diplomatic rift -- as we've been calling it -- is just continuing to deepen between China in the United States over just a whole range of issues from the war in Ukraine, from the balloon incident, from Taiwan and the U.S. military support of Taiwan, even over access to technology like artificial intelligence and chips.

At the start of the National People's Congress, we heard the work report that was delivered by the outgoing Premier Li Keqiang and he made this call. Saying that China needs to double down on self reliance in the technology industry. Back to you, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Kristie and Hong Kong, thank you.

NOBILO: Ukraine is vowing to keep up the fight to defend the eastern city of Bakhmut even as Russian forces press on with their efforts to encircle it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's now ordered the reinforcement of positions inside the city but a fierce battle has been raging for months.

FOSTER: Russian forces have been making gradual gains. New video shows fighters with Wagner Mercenary Group taking down a Ukrainian flag and planting their own flag on top of a tank monument in the eastern part of Bakhmut.

The fierce fighting in Bakhmut has complicated evacuation efforts with few civilians making it out of the war zone each day. CNN's Alex Marquardt takes a look at one successful mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Racing into the warzone. A white-knuckle drive toward the middle of Bakhmut. This is the last successful emergency evacuation mission by the Bakhmut police. We need to go faster an officer says, the Russians can clearly see us.

This team called the White Angels grab civilians who have been trapped. Throwing belongings in the back. There's a cat. Someone else with a guitar.

[04:25:03]

The fighting raging nearby, the residents told to hurry up and get in and sit anywhere they can. As they hold on tight, the rescue mission speeds away from the smoldering city. Ahead there is smoke from a Russian strike. Getting dropped off safely, Leone (ph) tells the officer that everything is blown up in Bakhmut, even inside his apartment.

They've survived months of brutally intense assaults. Russia has made gains trying to encircle Bakhmut and surrounding it on three sides as Ukraine desperately tries to fend them off.

Today we met Bakhmut's deputy mayor at city nearby, at a makeshift aid center for Bakhmut evacuees. He tells us it's very hard to persuade the more than 4,000 civilians left there to leave. They say they have no where to go and have no money. It's very hard to survive there, he says. It is not life, it's survival.

Drinking water is a big problem. Walking to the well is dangerous, he says. Shells landing on your head all the time. All he now feels, he tells us, is fear and sadness.

Everyone here knows how hard it will be for Ukraine to hold on to Bakhmut. Speekta's (ph) elderly mother with disabilities didn't want to leave but Speekta managed to convince her.

I don't know if my house is still standing, she tells us. It's very painful thinking about those still this Bakhmut. Her eyes well up. I just want them all to survive, she says. That's my only wish.

Alex Marquardt, CNN in eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Ukraine's president is promising his country will find those responsible for killing an unarmed Ukrainian soldier. Officials in Ukraine have been lashing out against Moscow after video emerged on social media which appears to show the execution of a POW allegedly in Russian captivity. Here is part of that video and a warning, it does contain graphic content.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following developments. She's here with us in London with the latest. Salma, this isn't even the first time that we've seen this kind of horrific video that allegedly is showing torturing and killing of prisoners of war. Obviously in the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war have to be treated humanely. They can't be tortured, obviously not killed. What more are we learning about this video verifying and what action might be taking? SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very chilling video and one

that's being shared very widely among Ukrainians who see it as yet another illustration of the ferocity, the mercilessness of Russian troops on the ground. And as you mentioned, this is a potential violation of course of the Geneva Conventions and President Zelenskyy has promised to bring the perpetrators of that to justice. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today a video has been released showing how the occupiers brutally killed a warrior who bravely said to their faces glory to Ukraine. I want us all to respond to his words in unity. Glory to the hero. Glory to heroes. Glory to Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now the final words uttered by that soldier, glory to Ukraine, that's being repeated a as a slogan, of course, by Ukrainians who see it as a moment of defiance even in the face of death, when he was facing off with those Russian troops his last moments.

And what's really interesting to note about this conflict is simultaneously while Ukrainian forces are fighting this war, while President Zelenskyy is leading this battle, he is also simultaneously collecting evidence for a potential international trial to bring any potential violators of international law to justice. And we've seen that taking place just in the last few days. He had visits from international partners. They're working on setting up a center by the Hague, right, by the ICC -- the International Criminal Court.

Just anecdotally from myself being on the ground, if you arrive at the site of a building or mall or a civilian area that's been struck by Russian artillery for a Russian missile, you will immediately see investigators arriving on the scene collecting that evidence.

So, for the family of this victim that you see in that video, absolutely horrifying for them to witness this. But there is hope that there could be justice. And what you will hear Kyiv say over and over again is that there can be no peace in the future unless we bring that justice, unless we bring that accountability.

NOBILO: Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.

FOSTER: Unions and opposition party say they are hoping to bring France to a halt with new nationwide strikes that are under way right now. You are looking at workers demonstrating in Calais currently. They are furious over the government's pension reform plans which would raise the retirement age by two years.

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