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CNN International: Russia and North Korea Pledge New Partnership; White House Cancels Meeting After Netanyahu Video; Ukraine's Future NATO Membership Will Be Key Issue At NATO Summit; State of Emergency in New Mexico As Wildfires Rage; Dangerously High Temperatures Grip Southern Europe; Baseball Hall Of Famer Willie Mays Has Died At 93. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired June 19, 2024 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:36]
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: It is 8:00 p.m. in London, 2:00 a.m. in Hanoi, 2:00 p.m. in Corpus Christi, Texas, and 3:00P p.m. here in New York City.
I'm Erica Hill. Thanks for joining me today on CNN NEWSROOM.
We begin this hour in North Korea where Kim Jong Un and president -- Russian President Vladimir Putin have just signed a historic strategic partnership, partnership pact similar to NATO's Article Five. That pact includes a mutual defense clause that would see either country provide assistance against an act of aggression.
Both leaders hailing their new alliance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM JONG UN, NORTH KOREAN LEADER (through translator): Relations between our two countries have reached a more promising development through this comprehensive strategic partnership, which will achieve the progress and welfare of the people by expanding cooperation in various fields such as politics, economy, culture, and military.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I agree that this is truly a breakthrough document, reflecting the desire of both countries, not to stop at their achievements, but to raise our achievements at a qualitative new level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: In his first visit to the country in more than two decades, Putin rode through the streets of Pyongyang in open limo, which you see here as his portrait and Russian flags were plastered across this city. The Russian president is now on his way to Vietnam.
Here's CNN's Mike Valerio with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, a question that emerges now that this summit is all said and done, have we just witnessed in autocratic version of NATO's Article Five forged before our very eyes as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, hope to reshape the global order.
(voice-over): By the end of the celebrations in Pyongyang, after an indelible image of two authoritarian leaders riding in an open limo, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought ties between their two countries even closer, announcing a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that includes assisting one another in the event of aggression.
PUTIN (through translator): The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for the provision of mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement.
VALERIO: Kim hailed what he called a new alliance.
KIM (through translator): The great Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea-Russia alliance, which will become a watershed moment in the development of this bilateral relations finally raised its anchor in history and announced this solemn departure here today.
VALERIO: It's unclear if Wednesday's agreement is as strong as 1961 treaty between the USSR and North Korea, which called for automatic mutual defense if one of the countries were attacked. But notable during the pageantry in Pyongyang, no tanks and no. Weapons parading past Kim Il Sung square. Analysts say it's a fine balancing act for North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, not to draw too much attention to a linchpin of his strengthening bond with Russia, an illegal exchange according to the U.S. and South Korea, of weaponry and weapons technology between Moscow and Pyongyang.
PETER WARD, RESEARCH FELLOW, SEJONG INSTITUTE: It's either they're not showing off missiles is probably because although we have very credible intelligence now indicating that North Korean missiles are being used on the battlefield in Ukraine, they don't want to necessarily draw too much attention to missiles in the relationship with Russia.
VALERIO: In front of the cameras, Kim pledged his full support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials say North Korea has sent Russia more than 10,000 shipping containers since September, deliveries of munitions or munitions-related material.
Russian forces have also launched at least 10 North Korea-made missiles on Ukraine since September, a U.S. official said in March. Both countries deny such weapons trades are happening.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIO (on camera): So another question that emerges, will we see military drills between North Korea and Russia while when Vladimir Putin was at the lectern, he said that the Russian Federation, quote, does not rule out developing military grade cooperate.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks to Mike for filing that report.
Well, as the U.S. works to de-escalate rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, a diplomatic rift is developing between Israel and the United States. The White House canceling a meeting with Israel which is scheduled for tomorrow after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video claiming the U.S. was withholding military aid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: It is inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel. Israel, America's closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies.
[15:05:05]
Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that's the case. It should be the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: A senior U.S. official telling CNN a U.S. envoy met with Mr. Netanyahu and told him those remarks were unproductive and completely untrue.
All of this, of course, coming as Israel is warning of an all-out war with Hezbollah. Yesterday, the Iran-backed militant group, releasing a nine-minute drone video which is characterized as psychological warfare and appeared to show military and civilian sites in Israel.
Joining me now, CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman.
So, Ben, today, Hezbollah's leader said they will continue to attack Israel and also for the first time threatens Cyprus. Israel's military meantime says it has approved operational plans for a potential offensive in Lebanon.
Ben, do you have a sense of just how close these tensions are right now to actually boiling over?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erica, I've been covering the conflict here on this side in Lebanon since October, and certainly it does seem we are closed now than ever before to a broader conflict. What we're -- the video from Hezbollah certainly set off alarm bells in Israel because I think they realized that Hezbollah's abilities are far more perhaps than they expected, been able to ten to a drone, about 30 kilometers inside of Israeli territory, flying over sensitive military installations, the port of Haifa, which is a major port, the biggest port in Israel, then flying back with that footage is quite an intelligence coup by Hezbollah. Now, we have seen last week there was quite an intense exchange of
fire between the two sides after Israel killed they senior Hamas field commander. This week, the actual amount of back-and-forth fire between the Israelis and the Hezbollah is somewhat less, but certainly the rhetoric does seem to be heating up.
Today, Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah was basically talking about their abilities. He was saying how they've only used a small portion of the weapons. They have that they have other weapons that they have received that he was not willing to talk about. He said that Hezbollah is in a position. He said to launch an incursion inside the Galilee, northern Israel, if he said war is imposed on Hezbollah.
But he also made it very clear the best way to end this cross-border fire that is in danger of becoming something much more serious is to bring an end to the war in Gaza. He said, if that happens, Hezbollah will stop firing on Israel, the Houthis will stop targeting navigation in the Red Sea? Those pro-Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq will stop firing on Israel.
So he's sort of putting the onus back on, in a way, the Americans. Keep in mind that this envoy from the United States, Amos Hochstein, was in Lebanon yesterday, passing a message through who intermediaries to Hezbollah, and I think this is Hezbollah's response to him -- Erica.
HILL: So as we look at all of this as well, we can't ignore the fact that Netanyahu and Israel are stretched now potentially across several conflicts. And there are questions about why now for this pushback. What is the sense in the region in terms of that pushback on the United States?
WEDEMAN: In terms of his statements to these televised statement?
HILL: Uh-huh.
WEDEMAN: Was certainly - this seems to really go to the core of what seems to be chaos within the Israeli government. You have Benjamin Netanyahu, who has received huge amounts of support, military, diplomatic, ammunition, everything from the United States and comes out with this video essentially accusing the Americans of letting Israel down. At the same time, we see these squabbles within the Israeli cabinet where Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, real hard liner, was told by Netanyahu, according to the Israeli media that he will not allow him into the war cabinet because he's been leaking secrets to the public.
Israel, which at one point seemed like a united country, is increasingly from the outside appears to be disarray. In addition to the disarray within the cabinet, you have these massive street demonstrations.
[15:10:04]
People blocking traffic in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel. It really goes to show that whereas most countries unite in times of war, Israel seems to be increasingly divided -- Erica.
HILL: Yeah. And all eyes on that. Ben, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, one year ago, NATO allies famously declared Ukraine's future is in NATO. Of course, the question of when that future begins is still being debated. This year's annual summit kicks off in Washington and just a little over two weeks. And CNN has new reporting on just how strongly this year's summit will actually commit to Ukraine's future membership.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand is joining me now.
So, this is the third NATO summit, Natasha, since Russia invaded Ukraine. We know Ukraine wants a pathway to full NATO membership. But give us a sense, where do things stand right now?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's currently being debated, Erica. The U.S. and its allies are currently trying to work out what the language is actually going to look like during this summit in terms of Ukraine's path to NATO membership. And its kind of being painstakingly debated at this point, kind of, you know, the discussions between words like irreversible path to NATO membership versus a bridge to NATO membership.
And it might sound small, but in the long run, it is significant because it tells the world, and particularly Russia, just where the alliance believes Ukraine's path to NATO lies at this point. And what were told is that the U.S. right now doesn't want to go as far as to say that Ukraine has an irreversible path to NATO membership because there are questions about whether Ukraine actually qualifies for NATO membership at this point, given the fact that they haven't implemented certain democratic and anti-corruption reforms, just yet, that are required for NATO membership.
And there's also the fact that U.S. officials don't believe that the entire alliance would go along with such phrasing, particularly Hungary, which has been a pretty opposed to Ukraine joining the alliance. But then there are countries in NATO, including the UK and some Central and Eastern European countries, that say that the U.S. really needs to go a bit further here in order to send a signal. And they are in favor of that language being included because they want to make sure that the world and Vladimir Putin understand that Ukraine's membership in NATO is not negotiable, it is not something that is going to be on the table during peace negotiations, for example.
Now, of course, Vladimir Putin has said quite starkly, including as recently as last week, that if Ukraine does not drop its NATO aspirations, then there will never be any negotiations to end the war. It is debatable, of course, whether that actually is true and whether if Ukraine even dropped its NATO plans, whether Russia would indeed come to the table. But still it gives you a sense of the Russian mindset here and why European allies in particular are so eager to see a more concrete, definitive path and timeline for Ukraine to join that defensive alliance -- Erica.
HILL: Yes, it certainly makes sense. It's also interesting. We saw just how much the upcoming presidential election in the United States and former President Trump loomed over the G7 most recently. How much are both of those a factor when it comes to NATO's new those upcoming annual summit? Is this a sort of now or never moment?
BERTRAND: It really is weighing heavily on the minds of the entire alliance because they understand that Trump's unpredictability when it comes to continuing support for Ukraine could be a serious vulnerability in liability for the Ukrainians. And so, what they've done is they've actually taken steps to, kind of, Trump-proof support for Ukraine by moving a lot of the support that is going over there now, military support, economic support into one kind of overarching cell inside NATO itself, overseen by three-star general in Germany.
And so, the idea is that this is all going to be centralized. It's going to kind of compartmentalize. And importantly, it's going to be overseen broadly on the macro level by NATO itself and not just by the United States, so that if anything happens in the U.S., for example, if Trump gets elected and decides to cut off support for Ukraine, then it will be secure under the NATO umbrella instead.
HILL: Natasha, good to have you this afternoon. Thank you.
Severe heat, wildfires, now, a tropical storm, the extreme weather threats just keep coming here in the U.S. and beyond. We'll take a closer look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:17:28]
HILL: As two major wildfires continue to burn through southern New Mexico, we have now learned of at least one reported death. The South Fork and Salt Fires have collectively at this point burned more than 20,000 acres. That's just since Monday, and both are at zero percent containment.
Some 8,000 residents have been evacuated, 1,400 plus structures destroyed to this point. And but the governor of New Mexico, declaring a state of emergency in both Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache reservation on Tuesday, there is a significant concern about what's next.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is in New Mexico with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The city of Ruidoso, New Mexico, is essentially a ghost town it feels like at this point, less than 48 hours after this fires, these fires started in this mountainous region of New Mexico, more than 8,000 people have evacuated. As I mentioned, there's two different fires that are considered consumed so far about 20,000 acres, almost none of it has been contained here at this point. And the visibility because of the smoke from these fires is just
really -- it cut down dramatically. The smoke is intense. This is a roadway that leads out to the northern edge of town. This is an area where people were scrambling Monday night to get -- to get out of this area as, you know, one resident described as ash was falling from the sky.
And as you look -- everywhere you look here, visibility is cut down dramatically, very difficult to breathe, and it really kind of gets into your eyes as well. You can imagine what the firefighters on the front lines are battling in this canyonous, mountainous area fighting these fires are extremely difficult.
As I mentioned, about 1,400 structures have been destroyed or lost so far in these fires, more than 8,000 people have evacuated. And one resident says they're lucky to get out alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We reached a point where it was just a solid blackout. I've never seen anything like it, but the thing that kind of startled me more than anything, my truck was being hit with chunks of ash. I could feel them hidden or hood. And the gray, it was almost like big gray rain hitting my trend.
WEDEMAN: Now there is a sliver of good news and there could be some relief on the way and that is weather forecasts are showing that later this afternoon and into Thursday as well, rain is expected in this area and that would obviously help dramatically for the firefighters on the ground who are battling these massive wildfires that have consumed the areas around Ruidoso, New Mexico.
[15:20:08]
So that relief can't come soon enough because there are thousands of people who've evacuated this area. They've scattered to other communities around here in New Mexico, and they are desperately awaiting word to find out if their homes have made it through the worst of these wildfires.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Yeah, and those pictures are just devastating. Ed, thank you for that report.
Of course, it's not just the fires there were keeping an eye on. Alberto, the first named tropical storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, also coming in with a vengeance. Over a dozen people are dead in Central America. There is heavy flooding across the region.
And now, a level three out of four flooding risk has been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of the Texas coast. Winds of up to 40 miles an hour have been blowing into Texas, coming across, of course. Rainfall totals now up to 15 inches expected to hit Texas and Mexico through Thursday.
Rosa Flores is in Corpus Christi.
So, Rosa, a little calmer at the moment right now, I saw you earlier. It was not quite as calm, my friend. What -- what is Texas bracing for?
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, from talking to officials, Erica, they are preparing for the worst, but they know that the center of this storm is hundreds of miles away. So they're prepared, but they're hoping that all they're getting is some bands.
Let me show you around. I'm Corpus Christi, Texas. You can see that there is some flooding in this area. You can look behind me and there is a building with pilings.
I can tell you, my team and I have been here since 5:00 a.m. this morning. At different times during the day, the water levels would go up and, of course, these buildings are designed like this for that very reason. So that water can flow underneath. And so, we've seen the water level go up and down several inches.
Beyond that building is the Corpus Christi Bay. Now earlier, the ocean was in essence slapping the road that runs parallel with it. Right now, it looks so a lot calmer. Again, it ebbs and flows. But overall, you can see that there's these flooded areas, the flooded streets, that's what officials here in Corpus Christi, Texas, tell us that they were preparing for because they know that there are certain areas in the city that are low lying, that's why they pre-staged barricades like the ones that you see around me, because they knew that they were going to have to close certain roads to protect individuals from driving through flooded water.
Now, they do have also high water vehicles and rescue boats strategically placed around the city to make sure that they can be prepared to respond in the case of an emergency, but they're hoping that that doesn't happen.
Back to you, Erica.
HILL: Yes, fingers crossed. And as you point out, all of this happening, of course, while it's still so far away, and yet you can feel part of it now.
Rosa, appreciate it. Thank you.
The extreme heat plaguing much of the Midwest and the Northeast, we're talking about record-breaking high temperatures now forecasts in dozens of cities, important to note though, these extreme temperatures are not limited to the U.S. In Saudi Arabia, dozens of deaths have been reported. The sweltering conditions there coinciding, of course, with the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, and officials do warn the death toll could ultimately be higher.
In India, authorities has been forced to limit the flow of public water because of high temperatures. And officials those temps have also pushed energy demands to a record high. We're also looking at a dangerous heatwave bearing down across
southern Europe, leading to high temperature alerts in a number of countries and warnings actually stay indoors.
Barbie Nadeau has more on that angle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: It's only June and southern Europe is already baking under a deadly heat wave. In Greece, several tourists died after hiking in extreme temperatures. One deputy mayor had a dire warning.
SPYROS ARGYROS, MATHRAKI DEPUTY MAYOR (through translator): We have a lot of footpaths here and we often see people come here to go walking often couples will communist groups, but we also see people alone on the footpaths. Unfortunately, during some days in the summer, we have heat waves and we see them walking on the footpaths without supplies without water, without a towel.
NADEAU: In Italy and in the Balkans, temperatures are expected to be between five and ten degrees higher than average. In Rome, authorities have put up trees at bus stops in order to provide much needed shade for those waiting in the hot sun.
Authorities across the region warning elderly and the frail to try to stay indoors during a hottest time of the day. There also urging people to exercise caution in areas that are prone to wildfires.
If last summer was the hottest summer on record, so far this summer doesn't look like it's going to be any better.
[15:25:00]
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, joining me now to discuss is Michael Mann. He's a presidential distinguished professor of Earth and environmental science at the University of Pennsylvania, and the author of "Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis".
Dr. Mann, good to have you with us today.
As we look at all of this playing out at once, so we've got record- breaking heat in many areas around the globe. Our first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, we have these wildfires, burning of course, out in the Southwest. Is there one element that is driving all of this extreme weather at once? Is it connected?
MICHAEL MANN, PRESIDENTIAL DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: Yeah. Thanks, Erica. It's good to be with you.
And in short, yeah, we would not be seeing these unprecedented weather extremes -- the extreme heat, wildfires, flood, storms that are likely to be part of a record storm season, record hurricane season here in the Atlantic that's been predicted.
We wouldn't be seeing all of this if it weren't for the fact that the planet is the warmest that it has been, as warm as, you know, as far back as our records go, and indirect lines of evidence suggest that the warmth that we're experiencing today is unprecedented in tens of thousands of years. And it's not a coincidence that, that coincides with our elevation, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning and other human activities which have warmed up the planet. And we are seeing the impacts of that warming play out in spades.
HILL: Yeah, we really are. There's also the concern that it's June, it's not even officially summer yet. So how bad could this summer be if this is what it looks like on June 19th?
MANN: Yeah, I'll tell you, Erin, I usually clear my schedule for mid- July because I know we are going to be experiencing those extreme weather events and there's going to be an interest in getting input from scientists like me. This year, I'm having to clear my schedule weeks earlier.
We are not used to seeing this sort of array of extreme weather events so early in the season, and it is -- you know, it is a worrying sign. What it's telling us is that that window -- that window that we associate with those extreme summer heat events, and other, you know, extreme events in summer, that window is getting wider as we warm up the planet, as summers get warmer, the hurricane season potentially getting longer.
The wildfire season is now almost perpetual. We have seen some of the worst wildfires in the western U.S. in recent years in winter in December. And so, what we're seeing is a widening of that window during which we see these extreme summer weather events. And we're seeing greater intensity in those events as well.
HILL: There's also -- there's the practical part of this, too, in terms of how states, cities, municipalities prepare for this extreme weather. Rosa was walking us through some of those preparations there in Corpus Christi. Look, they're used to dealing with hurricanes and tropical storms. That being said, if you are facing a more active hurricane season, for example, there are only so many resources. There's only so much money to go around.
How concerning is that part of this equation for you?
MANN: Yeah, it's really concerning. In fact, there was a study that came out about a year-and-a-half ago that demonstrated that there is a market increase in what we might call sort of synchronous extreme events are coincident extreme events. Periods of time during which we are seeing extreme heat waves and wildfires and floods and super storms play out simultaneously.
And as you allude to, it begins to tax our resources because we only have so many resources that we can bring to bear to put out fires or the emergency management that's necessary to deal with, you know, a potential land falling major hurricane. And so, we are seeing a real stress on our -- you know, on our capacity to deal with these impacts. And it's a warning sign that we will exceed sort of our level of adaptive capacity if we continue to warm up the planet. There are also some legitimate concerns about famous reserves, major disaster -- the major disaster relief fund, and whether it could end up in the red.
I do want to ask you, you know, let's end in a positive note if we can. Is there anything, given that this is a global problem, is there anything that can be done to at least slow some of these extreme weather events?
MANN: Yeah. Thanks. That's the good news. It is a global problem, but there is a global solution. And if the United States leads, we have seen that other countries come to the table.
Back during the Obama years when the United States was leading on global climate action, we saw China, for example, come to the table. There was a very important bilateral agreement between the U.S. and China that laid the groundwork worked for the Paris Accord. And then we -- when we backed off from our commitments during the Trump years, we saw other countries become lax in their own commitments.
[15:30:05]
And so, we need to lead.
If we lead, then we can expect other countries to come to the table and the good news here is that it's not too late to act. The science tells us -- the science in the last decade or so gives us a little bit of good news here.
What it tells us is that the planets stops warming up when our carbon emissions reached zero. So there's a direct and immediate consequence of our efforts to do something.
HILL: All right. Well, there you go. We have a prescription. We just have to follow it.
Michael Mann, good to have you with us today. Thank you.
MANN: Thank you.
HILL: Up next, what's being called pig butchering schemes. They're cryptocurrency scams that actually cost one victim -- have cost victims billions of dollars.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Law enforcement authorities in the U.S. say it's a scam that has now caused victims billions of dollars. And in one particularly heartbreaking case, it caused a family their father.
The scam is known as pig butchering. Scammers using fake online identities target their victims on dating websites, trying to convince them to invest in phony cryptocurrency businesses. CNN's Ivan Watt -- Ivan Watson rather has more on the devastating
financial, psychological, and emotional toll this scheme is taking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT, DENNIS JONES' SON: As soon as I found out that it was a suicide, I was 100 percent sure that it was the scam. It just, it crushed them. It like took the life out of them.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has only been a couple months since Matt and Adrian suddenly lost their father.
MATT: I mean, our father was the grand optimist. He was always. And they, uh, they extinguished that for him.
WATSON (voice-over): I meet them at Adrienne's home in Northern Virginia, where their father's ashes have yet to be buried.
Dennis Jones was an avid photographer, guitarist, and loving grandfather. But last summer, Dennis started withdrawing from the family, instead talking daily to a woman he met on Facebook.
WATSON: The profile's name here is Jessie Chu. Do you think this person exists?
ADRIENNE, DENNIS JONES' DAUGHTER: No.
WATSON: Over time, Jessie convinced Dennis to invest in cryptocurrency. He pumped more and more money in until it suddenly disappeared. Text messages show Dennis was desperate. And yet his children say he still trusted his friend named Jessie.
ADRIENNE: I do believe he loved the person that was -- that he believed was behind that profile.
WATSON: Carina, who works in biotech in Northern California, is also the victim of an online cryptocurrency scam.
WATSON: Were you in love?
CARINA, SCAM VICTIM: I was. Yeah, I really felt like I trusted this person.
WATSON: She says she first met her scammer on the dating app Bumble.
How much money did you lose?
CARINA: In the end, I ultimately lost $150,000. I mean, I went into a depression. I was depressed. I -- ashamed, embarrassed that I had done all this without sharing it with anybody.
ERIN WEST, SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I've been a prosecutor for over 25 years. I spent nine years in sexual assault and I've never seen the absolute decimation of people that I have seen as a result of pig butchering. WATSON: Erin West is a deputy district attorney in Northern California, specializing in online crypto scams she calls pig butchering.
WEST: We've got over $5 billion in losses.
WATSON: In 2023.
WEST: In 2023, and that's up 38 percent from last year. And when crime is growing at 38 percent, that's something you better keep your eyes on.
WATSON: Using fake social media profiles, scammers spend months gaining the confidence of their victims, before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency through fake websites. Those platforms claim huge profits until the money suddenly disappears into the pockets of criminal gangs mostly based out of Southeast Asia.
A 2023 CNN investigation revealed many scammers are actually themselves victims of human trafficking like this Indian man named Rakesh. Imprisoned in this armed compound in Myanmar, he was forced to work pretending to be a Russian woman targeting Americans online.
RAKESH, SCAMMER: They provided us. I got a Russian girl with using a Russian girl fake profile. I need to scam people.
WATSON: Investigators warn of a mass transfer of wealth stealing billions of dollars from ordinary Americans. And this year they predict it will only get worse.
JEFF ROSEN, SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Many of these perpetrators are beyond my reach. And in order to establish deterrence, we need to prosecute some individuals who are running these operations in Southeast Asia.
WATSON: U.S. law enforcement say they have yet to arrest a single scammer. Though the U.S. Secret Service has had better luck in recouping some of the lost money.
SHAWN BRADSTREET, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO: We've been able to claw back, you know, millions, but it's still a small percentage compared to how much is going overseas.
WATSON: Which is billions.
BRADSTREET: Which is billions.
WATSON: The scammers flood social media sites to ensnare victims.
Tech companies like Meta, Match Group and Coinbase say they're trying to spread awareness about the threat. But Deputy District Attorney Erin West says that's not enough.
WEST: An enemy has declared war on the rest of the world without really telling any of us that we are at war. And we are not fighting back. WATSON: Carina says she spent hours every day exchanging romantic texts with the person she thought she loved.
CARINA: It's heartbreaking for me to see the state that I was in.
WATSON: By the time she realized she'd been defrauded, Carina says she took out high-interest loans, borrowed money from loved ones and had to move back in with her mother.
WATSON: What is the timeline like for repaying your debts right now?
CARINA: Probably 10 years.
WATSON: After Dennis Jones took his own life, his adult children were left piecing together what happened by looking through his Facebook messages.
MATT: He's saying these are basically evil people. I did not know that such people existed. And he ends it with the ultimate pain here is that I've betrayed my family's trust.
[15:40:00]
This is unbearable.
WATSON: In early March, Matt, Adrienne and their sister Laura planned to have a meeting to help out their father. The plan was for him to move in with Adrienne here in Virginia.
ADRIENNE: Unfortunately, the day that we were supposed to have the meeting is the day that we found out he died. He died embarrassed, ashamed, financially devastated and heartbroken. And if sharing our story helps somebody else or another family, then it's worth it.
WATSON: Ivan Watson, CNN, Leesburg, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, just ahead here, celebrating freedom on this Juneteenth holiday in the U.S. A look back at one of our colleague's really remarkable journey and his family's roots in fighting slavery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Today, June 19th, is the day America celebrates the end of slavery in this country. Juneteenth, though, only became a federal holiday in 2021. For many Black families in the U.S., though, it's long been a day of reflection, a reflection on the fight for freedom, and of the courage of their ancestors.
My colleague CNN anchor Victor Blackwell has also been looking back at this, sharing much of his family's story with us and with you, and he has an update this year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been one year since my family learned of our astonishing history that brought me to tears.
(CRYING)
Man, this is -- oh, man.
I was covering the opening of the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. And through the genealogists in its Center for Family History, I learned that in the late 18th century, an enslaved woman in Northumberland County, Virginia named Sarah.
[15:45:02]
My seven times great grandmother sued her enslaver for her freedom and the freedom of her descendants and won.
Dr. Shelley Murphy is the center's director.
DR. SHELLEY MURPHY, HEAD GENEAOLOGIST, INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM: Your line started out enslaved and became free up until where you're at right now.
Give me a hug. How are you?
V. BLACKWELL: Good to see you.
Recently, I invited Dr. Murphy to Baltimore to meet my mother and my cousins, all overwhelmed by the discovery -- all beneficiaries of Sarah's groundbreaking lawsuit.
TONY BLACKWELL, VICTOR BLACKWELL'S COUSIN: To have women step up and speak out about their freedom back then is just -- it was just incredible.
MURPHY: That threat of being killed or sold, unbelievable.
T. BLACKWELL: Yes.
MURPHY: Unbelievable. And that's something that should go generations.
ZELDA MARSHALL, VICTOR BLACKWELL'S COUSIN: That just blew me away that this was in our bloodline, you know. Sometimes you don't think it but, you know, you are -- we are powerful.
VANESSA GIBSON, VICTOR BLACKWELL'S MOTHER: And, you know, it's sad that our parents -- especially our fathers --
MURPHY: Yeah.
GIBSON: -- who were Blackwells are not here.
MARSHALL: Not here to see it. MURPHY: Right.
GIBSON: And didn't know it. It would have been a story that they would have been so proud --
MARSHALL: Proud.
GIBSON: -- and would have passed it on to us --
T. BLACKWELL: Yeah.
GIBSON: -- had they known.
MURPHY: Yes.
MARSHALL: Had they known.
V. BLACKWELL: And last summer, my mother and our cousins drove to the county where Sarah won her freedom to pass that story on.
GIBSON: Well, we took a trip down to Northumberland County --
MARSHALL: Yes.
GIBSON: -- last summer for the Blackwell reunion. We didn't know hardly any of the people there --
MARSHALL: Right, right.
GIBSON: -- from that family.
T. BLACKWELL: I'm longing to find out more about the Blackwell side because unfortunately, we didn't know much about our side of the family growing up.
V. BLACKWELL: That journey begins here in Montgomery, Alabama, with Bryan Stevenson. He's the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and its new massive National Monument to Freedom.
BRYAN STEVENSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE: It's created by reviewing the 1870 census, and the 1870 census in the United States was the first time that formerly enslaved people had an opportunity to claim a surname that the government would recognize.
V. BLACKWELL: More than 122,000 surnames on this wall, front and back, about four stories tall and about half the length of a football field.
STEVENSON: Yes, we want to tell the story about the horrors, and the degradation, and the violence of slavery, but we also want to tell the other story about the resilience of enslaved people, about the courage, the strength, the perseverance.
There you are. Just jump out of me.
V. BLACKWELL: There it is. STEVENSON: Yes, it is.
V. BLACKWELL: How about that? Wow. To see that name with the, what, 122,000 others --
STEVENSON: Yeah.
V. BLACKWELL: -- it is both humbling but also it gives my family a place.
STEVENSON: Yes, that's right.
Forty percent of the people who were enslaved claimed names that were associated with enslavers -- not to honor the enslaver, but they were just trying to create kinship and community with brothers and sisters and parents. They didn't want to give up on that, so they adopted those names.
V. BLACKWELL: They could have been sold off or traded off.
STEVENSON: Could have been sold off, exactly.
MURPHY: The Blackwell line came into the Virginia colonies in 1636.
V. BLACKWELL: Hmm.
MURPHY: Joseph Blackwell up into Northumberland.
V. BLACKWELL: Dr. Murphy and other genealogists traced three Blackwell family lines coming into the colonies, but Murphy was only able to connect my line to the start of the 19th century.
MURPHY: There is a Mishack Blackwell and a Mishack Jr. Blackwell. And the first one was born about 1810.
V. BLACKWELL: My great-great-great-great grandfather.
MURPHY: Just because of the area, Virginia, nine times out of 10 he would have been enslaved.
T. BLACKWELL: I never really heard much about the Blackwell family. So to hear this and to get information on this is -- I'm 65 years old. It feels good.
MARSHALL: Yeah.
V. BLACKWELL: There are so many more questions to be answered but the more we look and the more we learned, the more we appreciate our ancestors and their will to persevere.
STEVENSON: I think to know that you are the heir of people who found a way to survive, who found a way to overcome all of the hardship is something that should generate pride.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HIL: And to see the reaction from your cousins, from your mom again last year, so many people were really moved when you shared your initial story going back to Sarah, this incredible woman who, who won, who sued for and won freedom for herself and her children, that's this visit that your mom and the cousins took in this reunion in Northumberland County, Virginia. What was that like?
BLACKWELL: Interestingly enough, my mom told me that as children, they went to Northumberland County, but they never heard about the Blackwell side of the family.
[15:50:00]
And only after I found so much through the work of Dr. Murphy and other genealogists was she able to share what she'd learned with the people she met there?
She started sending me cell phone pictures she visited the one room school that my grandfather went to as a child, which is now a state landmark there. And she was recounting the names of cousins that she'd met. I mean, this has been a revelation, not just for the viewer and for me, but for our family and is really enriched us.
HILL: And it really looks like that in many ways, Victor, it's a journey that's just beginning for your family.
BLACKWELL: It's ongoing.
HILL: And to learn more.
Well, well, keep us posted on your developments, because they are --
BLACKWELL: Sure.
HILL: -- they are fascinating and it is great to see it continue.
Thank you, my friend. Good to see you.
BLACKWELL: You got it.
HILL: And a really important programming note for you, the CNN special event, "Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom and Legacy", you can catch that tonight, right here on Max and on CNN, 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific in the U.S.
Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Finally this hour, remembering one of the biggest names in baseball, Giants legend Willie Mays. The team announcing that 93-year- old's passing on social media Tuesday night. The Hall of Famer played in the Negro Leagues and was among the first generation of African Americans to play Major League Baseball.
CNN's Andy Scholes has a look back now on his remarkable legacy. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR (voice-over): From the time he set foot in the Major Leagues, as a 20-year-old rookie for the New York Giants, in 1951, to his last days with the Mets, 22 years later, no one played like Willie Mays.
Born in Alabama, he earned the nickname the "Say Hey Kid" for his enthusiasm towards baseball. He played in 24 All-Star Games, was twice voted National League MVP, and slammed 660 homeruns to rank sixth on the All-Time list.
WILLIE MAYS, MLB HALL OF FAMER: When I got through the first hit off a one Spahn, New York was like my family. They embraced me, like my mother and dad says. And my dad says, when you go to New York, and if they slap you, you turn the other cheek, because if you don't, they're going to shoot you.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
Yeah.
SCHOLES: Mays was as dominant in the field as he was at the plate, winning 12 Gold Gloves.
In Game one of the 1954 World Series, his over-the-shoulder catch was considered the key point in the Giants' shocking sweep of the Indians, and has gone down in history, as one of the game's most memorable catches.
[15:55:10]
MAYS: People talk about the Catch, and I don't understand why because I didn't win anything, so then just cannot (ph) catch a ball. But when you find stuff like that, and it was furious, they had to pick a highlight, and they picked the, I guess, that one for the highlight.
SCHOLES: In 1958, Mays made the move out West with the Giants and batted a career high 347. Seven years later, Mays had one of his best seasons, clubbing 52 homeruns, winning his second MVP award.
During the 1972 season, the 41-year-old was dealt back to New York, to play for the Mets. And what became the last at-bat of his career, Mays hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning of game two of the 1973 World Series, putting an exclamation point on a one-of-a-kind career.
But perhaps even greater than his performance, on the field, was the legacy he left off it. Playing his first Major League game, just four years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, Mays helped to carry the torch for future Black baseball players and athletes. And he inspired his community for generations to come.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A few years ago, Willie rode with me on Air Force One. I told him then what I'll tell all of you now. It's because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Willie Mays was 93.
Major League Baseball announcing all 30 teams will honor Mays with a moment of silence. Before today's games.
Thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Erica Hill.
Stay tuned. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
