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New York Knicks Win First Championship Since 1973; Qatari Negotiators Head to Iran to Help Finalize Potential Agreement with U.S.; Lebanon Fighting Rages Despite Possible U.S.-Iran Agreement; Trump's Name Removed from Kennedy Center Building; Switzerland Votes on Limiting its Population Size. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 14, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to all of our viewers watching in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London.

We're keeping an eye on New York where thousands poured into the streets to celebrate the Knicks' long-awaited NBA championship. The celebrations were off to a joyous start late Saturday night. It was a 53-year dream come true for the city that never sleeps. Most Knicks fans kept the party going while others got a little bit too rowdy.

CNN's Mark Morales was in the heart of Times Square and Shimon Prokupecz was near Madison Square Garden, some of the busiest parts of the city when the celebrations unfolded. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MORALES, CNN REPORTER: They just came up on me, they're like, you have to wear this now. And after a night like tonight, I'm not going to argue.

Omar, welcome to Times Square. If you can look all the way deep, you'll see how many people are here. And this is all because the Knicks won. I used to tell people all the time, if you think it's a big deal when the Yankees win, if you think it's a big deal when the Giants win, I tell people, wait until you see what it looks like when the Knicks win, because this city will stop. This is what you get. It's a celebration here. Everyone's really excited.

Like -- and it's not just here, Omar. It's all the way down. I can't even get a count for how many people are here. There are thousands here on the street. That's just here. And the other thing, as you walk out, you start hearing the anthems of New York, after the Empire State, and the mantra goes, let's go Knicks. This is that party vibe.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: You can see, in the distance, those are kind of the crowd control officers, specially trained in moving crowds, and pushing crowds back. They are the strategic -- some of them are the strategic response group officers, some are disorder control. And you will hear them now -- I just heard them saying, move, move, move, and this is them speaking to the crowd.

So, the NYPD here, the leaders of the NYPD have now decided that they have had enough and that they are going to try to clear this area. And so, they have moved all of these officers in, and you can see the horses here. And even the horses here have protective gear over their eyes to -- if people start throwing things at them. It's a way, obviously, for the horses to protect themselves.

But this is something that the mounted unit of the NYPD trains for, crowd control. And this is what they are used for, for years, as we've seen in other police departments. These horses are used for crowd control.

Effie, Effie, let's walk a little. Let's walk a little so that we have some space in case we need to get out of the way. And now, I'm watching officers tell people to get on the sidewalk. So, we're watching here to see how far down the officers here, the mounted officers, the officers on the horses, are going to proceed. But the NYPD has moved the horses into this area, and behind them are several dozen officers in, with helmets, with loudspeakers, telling people to move back.

Because just behind me here, there is a very large group of people that set something on fire. We watched them attack this school bus and basically take control of it. We've seen two police cars here vandalized. And now, the NYPD has made a decision that they're going to move in, and they're going to move people back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, while most people were able to celebrate the joyous occasion peacefully, we are also learning the NYPD has been arresting and detaining some of those that got out of hand. Video taken earlier shows police officers tackling and grabbing people, taking part in the Knicks championship celebrations.

For more, we're joined by retired FBI supervisory special agent Richard Kolko. Thank you so much for joining us. He's speaking to us this morning from Reston, Virginia. Good morning to you, first of all.

[04:05:00]

RICHARD KOLKO, FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT (RET.): Good morning.

ABDELAZIZ: We've seen a lot of raw emotion on those streets, just a huge outburst of joy, of course, for this historic victory. But there are, of course, a small number of celebrators that tipped towards the disorderly. I know we have images of people rocking buses, you know, damaging police cars, windshield shatters, bottles and coolers thrown towards officers. Begin by explaining to me how much is too much and when police make the call to move in and how they would have prepared for this.

KOLKO: Well, I've been scouring social media for the last hour because one of the advantages of the social media is there's quite a bit of evidence that people put right out there about the activity that they're doing. So, there was a lot of small time, roughhousing activity, skirmishes, fighting, bottle throwing, fire lighting, that kind of stuff didn't seem to get out of hand.

But NYPD's job is to protect people and protect property, and they have to make that decision when they're going to move in. It's pretty easy to move in if they're going to have to protect people. Protecting property, they've got a little bit more time to make decisions.

The other thing is we saw them allow the party to continue for a long period of time, and then they finally brought the mounted units out because you have to have the thoroughfares have to work. Fire trucks need to get through, ambulances need to get through, completely unrelated to the events of the evening. It's just the normal business of the city. So, law enforcement has to make that decision.

And if you go back to one police plaza, they've got a big operations center there. They've got cameras throughout the city. They've got the decision makers, command post managers, and they can make decisions on where and how to deploy their personnel. But, you know, NYPD is experts at this and they've got every tool in their toolbox from aviation, boats, horses, patrol officers. They've got everything they need and they know what they're doing.

ABDELAZIZ: And I know the crowds right now have thinned out, but we do understand that a number of arrests have taken place. Would we expect that arrests would continue to take place? I know we have no actual figures as to the number of those who are detained, but give me an understanding of the sort of consequences that people might be facing now and what police action might still be taking place.

KOLKO: Well, NYPD, I was looking up what I could find and there were several dozen arrests tonight or detentions is how they've stated them so far. We'll see if they turn into actual arrests. Depends on what's going to be prosecuted. Various small-time crime is what it is. Just some vandalism, destroying the police cars, lighting some small fires. Didn't see anything major, probably some fighting, maybe some assault charges. There'll be a whole list of things that'll come out. They'll probably provide some numbers in the morning.

But overall, it looks like compared to what we've seen in some other cities after championship events and New York City did pretty well tonight.

ABDELAZIZ: Richard Kolko, thank you very much for that breakdown in the security apparatus that was behind this, of course, in those celebrations in New York tonight.

The first championship in over 50 years did not come easy for the Knicks. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94 to 90 in Texas to bring home the franchise's third ever NBA title. The newly crowned champs had trailed for most of the game until breaking through in the fourth quarter.

Now, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on social media that the Knicks championship parade will be held this Thursday in Manhattan. He said that that will be the first ticker tape parade in Knicks history to honor a team that won an NBA title.

Now, to the war in Iran, we're learning that Qatari negotiators just in this 11th hour are now flying to Tehran to help finalize that U.S.- Iran agreement in coordination with the United States. President Donald Trump says it is expected to be signed today. He says it would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set off another 60 days of talks on the remaining sticking points.

Now, sources tell CNN the signing will now take place remotely to cement the agreement quickly and avoid any last-minute spoilers. But Iran is telling a very different story. The country's military says Tehran is definitely not signing the agreement today and criticized President Trump's, quote, "unusual insistence," even suggesting that he wanted it to happen on his birthday.

For more on all of this, we're joined by Nada Bashir. She is monitoring developments and live with us here in London. Good morning, Nada. Lovely to have you on. I mean, we have heard President Trump again and again and again insist that the deal is done, insist that the signing is going to happen. Is this almost a negotiation strategy at this point? Is it a way of ramping up the pressure to make sure they come to the table?

[04:10:00]

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we certainly have seen that on the part of the U.S. president over recent weeks. And there are real questions now as to whether the daylight we're seeing between U.S. commentary and Tehran is perhaps a messaging tactic, a PR tactic, or whether this is, in some differences with regards to the time frame that we're expecting to see when it comes to the potential signing of this memorandum of understanding.

Now, we are beginning to see some positive indications. Of course, we have had that very clear message from the U.S. president that he believes the signing will take place today virtually. And of course, we have also been hearing from some of the key mediators as well. We have previously heard this weekend from Pakistani officials, again, key mediators in this negotiation process who indicated that they believe that the deal was near, that a signing could take place within 24 hours.

And now, of course, as you mentioned, Salma, we are seeing Qatari negotiators flying to Tehran today, which perhaps is a positive indication that there will be some movement. It's understood, according to officials and sources, that they are heading to Tehran in order to facilitate the virtual signing of this agreement.

But of course, as you mentioned, we are hearing some different messaging from Iranian officials. In fact, we had heard on Friday from Iran's foreign ministry indicating that the timeline still remains unclear, that there will be no signing until there is a full agreement on both sides. And of course, now we are beginning to hear that this signing, if it does indeed take place, will take place virtually.

Now, in terms of why that is the case, we have been hearing from officials in Washington, D.C., indicating that this may have been really a scheduling issue between the U.S. president and Vice President J.D. Vance, with significant events coming up. But of course, there's also some fear, according to officials, that they want to get this deal signed as soon as possible in order to prevent any last-minute changes that could upend the progress that has been made.

And of course, there are some very significant issues on the table that have taken months to iron out. And of course, there are still some differences we're hearing from U.S. and Iranian officials on to what that agreement actually looks like. The U.S. president has been clear, the Strait of whom Hormuz would be open to all if this agreement is signed. Iran has said that the deal would include the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports. They've gone on to say that they have envisaged as part of this deal an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon.

And of course, Iran has consistently pushed for Lebanon to be included in this ceasefire agreement. There are real questions as to whether that will actually be carried through as part of this deal, whether that could potentially upend any progress. And then, of course, there is some question around the nuclear issue. It is beginning to appear from both sides that that would be an issue finalized later on, but that this memorandum of understanding would at least lay the groundwork for further negotiations.

At this stage, it all remains to be seen whether we have any official lines coming from Tehran indicating that this signing is indeed going ahead.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much, Nada Bashir, there on the last-minute scramble to bring that memorandum of understanding to a close.

Now, despite that possible agreement between the U.S. and Iran, fighting in Lebanon is showing no signs of stopping. As you can see there, three people were killed in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday. That's according to the country's news agency. They include a Lebanese town mayor.

Hezbollah says it has launched 19 new attacks on Israeli military posts. Iran wants the perspective agreement to include Lebanon, but Israel's defense minister says his troops will remain in the occupied areas.

I want to go live now to Danny Citrinowicz. He is a senior fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies. He is also the former head of the Iran branch for Israel's military intelligence research and analysis division. He joins us live from Tel Aviv. Good morning, first of all. Thank you so much for joining us today.

DANNY CITRINOWICZ, FORMER HEAD OF Iran BRANCH, ISRAEL DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE: Good morning. Thank you.

ABDELAZIZ: I want to start by just breaking down Israel's position on this memorandum of understanding. Israel is not party to the MOU, of course, but I understand there was a phone call on Thursday between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, and afterwards he sort of expressed appreciation. There was a very standard rhetorical statement. But I understand behind the scenes there is, of course, a great deal of skepticism inside the Israeli government. What are you hearing from your sources?

CITRINOWICZ: Well, again, thank you for having me. And I have to say one thing about the Israeli position, and I'm trying not to underestimate it. It's a catastrophe, meaning that the war that's meant to topple the regime that started on the 20th of February is ending with an agreement that actually will strengthen the same regime that Israel wants to topple.

[04:15:00]

And even more than that, I think that it's obvious that no restriction on missiles, no restriction on the Iranian support to the proxies. And even worse than that, I don't think that in Israel people think that there's going to be like a final agreement where the Iranian will dilute the enriched materials.

So, in that regard, what we have right now is an agreement that is opening the Straits that were open before the war. Iran is getting economical ease, and the ability to topple this regime is actually not getting any nearer, actually, on the contrary.

So, when you conclude everything in Israel, definitely Israel is very skeptical, disappointed of what's happening right now. But the problem that we have is that we cannot challenge President Trump because of the dependence of Prime Minister Netanyahu on administration and President Trump specifically. Then Israel's ability to challenge it is limited or even none.

ABDELAZIZ: So, you're obviously, of course, they're expressing that skepticism, that deep concern, as you mentioned, within the Israeli government. But at the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu has to balance his relationship with President Trump. Now, as we know, if this MOU is signed, it would trigger 60 days of further negotiations. Would Israel be committed to halting all conflict with Iran during that period, or do you imagine that you could see unilateral action being taken by the Israeli government?

CITRINOWICZ: Israel won't do anything that contradicts what President Trump has decided. Yes, there is a question of Lebanon. Israel, of course, is against the linkage between Iran and Lebanon, and they're trying to do the hardest work with the administration to prevent a ceasefire that actually will serve the Iranian and Hezbollah interests. The problem that Israel has, as I mentioned, is their ability to challenge President Trump is limited or very, very limited.

So, if Trump will decide to stop the war now, even in Lebanon, the war will be stopped. This is a problem that we have, you know, when you are going to a war with a country like the U.S., definitely you enjoy the U.S. might. But in the end of the day, you're not calling the shots in terms of ending the war. So, this is what we are facing right now.

So, even if Israel want to disconnect the connection between Iran and Lebanon and trying to see how they can do something to improve the agreement, in the end of the day, it's all coming back to Washington, what President Trump wants to do. And really, Israel's ability to do something is so limited that we find ourselves in a very complex strategic situation right now.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for breaking that down for us, and all those complexities, as well, around Lebanon and where Israel will stand with that. Thank you so much. Danny Citrinowicz there from Tel Aviv. Thank you so much.

After the break, a look at the results of Saturday's World Cup matches and America's reaction to Team USA's historic win against Paraguay.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

ABDELAZIZ: Saturday's World Cup action featured a heavyweight clash between Brazil and Morocco, ending in a 1-1 draw. Morocco, which reached the semi-finals four years ago, struck first, scoring early, but Brazil quickly answered with an equalizer. Earlier in the day, Qatar had faced off against Switzerland, picking up the country's first ever World Cup tournament point. That match ended in a 1-1 draw as well. And Scotland won their match against Haiti, 1-0, their first victory in a World Cup opener since 1982's tournament in Spain.

CNN's Coy Wire has a look at what's next for Team USA as their fans begin to dream big after their win against Paraguay on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: The atmosphere at the U.S. World Cup opener was electric. The energy felt like a Super Bowl after three espressos. More than 70,000 fans packed the stadium and brought the volume from the opening whistle.

The celebs were out. Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Katy Perry, Halle Berry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, you name it, all witnessing Christian Pulisic take center stage. Captain America helped force an own goal seven minutes in, then threaded an assist to Folarin Balogun in the 31st. And Balogun became the first American to score two goals in a World Cup match since 1930. Paraguay eventually scored, tried to make it ugly. The Americans made it look beautiful.

Four to 1 the final and four goals most ever scored by the U.S. in a World Cup match. Balogun says he's been visualizing this for years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FOLARIN BALOGUN, PLAYER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: I visualized, you know, my debut, you know, in the World Cup scoring. But yes, you know, the reality that surpassed that was scoring two goals and, you know, the second goal was a fantastic goal as well. So, you know, as I said, a very dreamy, dreamy night.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC, PLAYER, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: Being in America, having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white and blue, all our red and white striped shirts in the crowd, it's awesome. I mean, hearing the USA chants, it's really pushing us forward. And so, we just hope it continues like that. And I'm sure it will. We're just thankful for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: After the final whistle, fans weren't just celebrating the win. They were celebrating the way the Americans won. Confident, aggressive, entertaining. My team caught up with some of them as they poured out of the stadium after the win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing. In my 40 years of life, I've never seen the USA play this tactical, this amazing. It was spectacular.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely puts a lot of belief in your heart that you think that we can do well and just got to keep it going. On to the next match, get another dub, keep it going.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The world better not underestimate them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Top of the group, top 16 for sure. Let's go for top eight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, the way they played, just keeping the pressure on. I think we got this. Let's go USA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: The U.S. already more goals this World Cup than all four of their games in the last one combined. If their opening match was any indication, this team looks locked, loaded for belief and ready for whatever comes next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Still to come, it's almost time for the long awaited and long contested UFC fight on the White House lawn. We'll take a look at the controversial event and what message the president hopes to send with it. And Donald Trump's name no longer appears on the Kennedy Center building after a protracted legal fight. That story and much more just after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:25:00]

ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back to all of you watching in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. And this is CNN Newsroom.

The 53-year-long drought is over for the New York Knicks, who have won the NBA championship after staging a second dramatic comeback in back- to-back games. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Texas to bring home the franchise's third ever NBA title. The newly crowned champs trailed for most of the game until breaking through in the fourth quarter.

We've seen some Knicks fans in New York getting rowdy. The NYPD has deployed mounted units to disperse crowds and celebrations near Madison Square Garden. Knicks star and newly minted NBA champion Josh Hart took a break from his own celebrations to remind New Yorkers to be safe.

The world is waiting to see if the U.S. and Iran will finally sign an agreement today. That's what President Trump said to expect, but the Iranian military says that's not happening, adding that negotiators are still working to finalize the framework. Now, Iran's foreign ministry says it could be signed in the coming days, and a source tells CNN that Qatari negotiators flew to Tehran to help get it over the finish line.

The Kennedy Center says it has removed President Trump's name from the building, but the changed facade could not be seen by the public as of Saturday afternoon. A tarp was put in place while workers removed the president's name and was left hanging there during the day. CNN's Camila DeChalus is in Washington with more for us.

[04:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: We're here at the Kennedy Center just hours after the official deadline a federal judge gave to the administration to officially remove President Trump's name from the Kennedy Center building.

Now, we are told that the Trump administration has done this through them submitting court documents to the court signifying this, but at this point in time, it's really unclear because there's a tarp covering his name and covering the official signage of this building.

Now, there has been dozens of people that have stopped by taking photos and videos of the building, really waiting in anticipation to see the tarp go down so they can see the Trump administration -- his name -- the president's name officially being removed from this building, but at this time, it's very unclear when that's going to happen.

Now, some of the people I've spoke to that stopped by have said that they've been here as early as 6:00 a.m. while others have been here either late last night waiting in anticipation while the construction workers were removing his name, but they say that for them, this really symbolizes hope while others say it's about a federal judge trying to restore checks and balances to the U.S. government after he declared that the Trump administration was supposed to seek congressional approval.

We know that this has been in litigation and a legal battle back and forth about whether President Trump had the authority to put his name on this building, but at this point, a federal judge has spoken, and really, what we wait now is to see the official removal of his name and really what that entails and the legal battle that's going to go forward.

Camila DeChalus, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Donald Trump's wish to host the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House is about to come true if the weather cooperates. Forecasters are predicting rain and storms on Sunday afternoon. For now, the controversial event, which cost about $60 million to put on, is set for Sunday evening. About 4,300 people will watch the UFC fights on the south lawn of the White House, and more than 100,000 more are expected to be just outside.

Mark Shanahan is an associate professor for politics at the University of Surrey. He joins us live now from Oxford, England. Good morning, first of all, to you. Thank you so much for being on with us.

MARK SHANAHAN. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF SURREY: Good morning. Nice to stay here.

ABDELAZIZ: I want to start with -- good morning. I want to start with the obvious question for me. Why on earth is President Trump hosting a cage fight at the White House? I get it's his 30th birthday -- his 80th birthday, rather. He's buddies with the president of the UFC. But are there some politics at play here, or is this just merely a spectacle?

SHANAHAN: No, this is very much the Trump presidency caught in a moment. It's brash. It's loud. It's highly, highly partisan. And this just reflects how Trump has conducted his presidency. He's had quite a long relationship with the UFC. The relationship goes further back into wrestling times, when he used to stage wrestling bouts at his casinos.

And this is an area where it's all about spectacle. The sport is bloody, it's brutal, and that pretty much reflects the politics of the time. It is also made for the television age. We have a ratings president and a ratings sport, and this is how he sees them coming together. It will absolutely scandalize liberal America. The rest of the world is looking in and going, what the heck is happening? But for Trump, this really symbolizes the kind of impact he wants to have on people. This plays to his macro audience, very particularly to young men, to young white men, who he needs to vote Republican when November and the midterms swing around.

ABDELAZIZ: And it's that target audience, right, of young white male voters that, of course, will be likely to tune in today. I want to talk to you about the other major headline this weekend, which is the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. That was done by court order. Is this really a blow for the president? Because this seems to be part of his strategy, if you will, that he makes these big swings and then just waits to see if the courts will shut him down. Is he really that bothered? Does this actually upset him?

SHANAHAN: Well, this should be a humiliation. It is a pretty humiliating event to have your name taken off one of D.C.'s major monuments. But it was only him who put it there in the first place. Trump wants to create a legacy. He wants a consequential presidency and wants to leave his name loud and proud all over the capital, all over the country.

And he did this without any real justification, putting his name on it. It wasn't legal. This is a living memorial to President Kennedy, a war hero who was slain by an assassin. And Trump is pretty much the antithesis of that kind of president.

[04:35:00]

So, it is unsurprising that a member of Congress went to court. The federal courts that Trump thought he had in his pockets have proved that once they put those black robes on, they do have judicial independence and they've not sided with the president. They've sided with the law. And what Trump has done is illegal.

There's probably marks all over the walls at the moment, which is why people aren't seeing the removal of his name, but I'm sure that will be cleaned up quickly. Trump has already said that he's not bothered and he's now dropping any interest he had in the Kennedy Center. He picks battles all the time.

As you say, he waits to see where they land. If they come out for him, he pushes hard. If they don't, he moves on to the next one. And I'm sure that's what we'll see happen now.

ABDELAZIZ: And I have to ask about this one, because when I heard this comment from President Trump, I literally raised my eyebrows. I love inflation. He said this on Wednesday when reporters were asking him about this fresh data that showed that inflation had jumped to an annual rate of 4.2 percent. I love the inflation. What on earth does that mean? And does it not alienate voters who are struggling right now?

SHANAHAN: Absolutely. I mean, what we are seeing is a huge gulf between the rhetoric of Trump and the reality of life in America and indeed around the world at the moment. Costs are rising. The price of gas is going up. The weekly shop has rarely, if ever, been more expensive. But this is a guy who has been insulated from those kinds of costs for the whole of his life. I don't think he understands what inflation is any more than he understands what affordability is. I think he links inflation with rises in the stock market. He's seen the stock market climb. But most Americans don't own stocks. They don't own them in any great numbers.

What we're seeing is the wealthy class getting wealthier. And that applies very much to the president and his family, while everybody else, Joe and Jess, Main Street, America, continue to struggle. It's not going to play well. But there again, Trump opens his mouth. The media and everybody else listens. And we make a story out of it. And he just keeps moving on and moving on. And on his 80th birthday, moving on again.

ABDELAZIZ: Making a story out of it, indeed. Those are some of the few top President Trump headlines of this week. Thank you so much for breaking them down with me, Mark Shanahan, thank you.

SHANAHAN: Thank you.

ABDELAZIZ: We're learning more details about a Venezuelan drug lord who was killed in a joint strike by the U.S. and Venezuela. Authorities say he was the head of a notorious criminal gang, Tren de Aragua. And CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For several years, the criminal group known as Tren de Aragua, has terrorized South American countries, including Venezuela, its country of origin, as well as Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru, according to law enforcement officials in the region and the United States. The U.S. designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, allowing the government to impose sanctions and pursue terrorism charges against its members.

And the man killed in a U.S. military strike, according to officials, was the leader of that criminal organization. He's identified by authorities both in Venezuela and the United States as Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Nino Guerrero, a nickname that roughly translates as Guerrero Kid, which is a play on Guerrero, a word that also means warrior in Spanish.

U.S. officials indicted Guerrero in December 2025, months after offering rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and or conviction. The alleged leader of Tren de Aragua was also listed as a most wanted fugitive by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last December, when Guerrero was indicted, the U.S. Justice Department said that Guerrero, quote, "has been the mastermind of Tren de Aragua's evolution from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist organization that committed countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking all over North America, South America and Europe."

President Donald Trump announced the suspect's death in a post on Truth Social late Friday night, saying that Guerrero was killed in what he called a swift and lethal kinetic strike. His post included a video showing a green roofed building disappearing under a cloud of billowing smoke caused by a massive explosion. President Trump also said the strike was coordinated closely with, quote, "our friends in Venezuela with whom we are working very well."

[04:40:00]

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later added on a Post on X that the attack was conducted over the last week in collaboration with Venezuelan security forces. In a statement, the Venezuelan government said the joint operation involved intelligence sharing and specialized technical support.

During the operation, the statement says, clashes occurred with members of these criminal structures, resulting in the death of Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Nino Guerrero, the leader of a criminal organization. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, while Tren de Agua mainly focused on human trafficking and other crimes targeting migrants, it has also been linked to extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and drug smuggling.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Coming up, how far-right movements appear to be thriving here in the U.K. and why the loudest most hate-filled voices are suddenly becoming mainstream.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABDELAZIZ: Voting is now underway in Switzerland to decide whether to limit the nation's population size. The measure asks voters if the country's population should be capped at 10 million. The current population is just over 9 million. The measure was put forward by the far-right wing Swiss People's Party, which says uncontrolled immigration is hurting the country. But critics are warning a yes vote could risk harming the economy by ending an agreement with the E.U. that allows citizens to work and live in each other's territories.

People came together in Belfast on Saturday to condemn racism. A wave of anti-immigrant violence struck Northern Ireland and other parts of the U.K. this week. You're looking at an overhead view of the United Against Racism rally in Northeastern Ireland's largest city. It is a direct response to days of unrest that injured at least a dozen police officers, damaged businesses, vehicles and other property.

[04:45:00]

The violence erupted after a knife attack by a Sudanese migrant was caught on video and then went viral. Far-right parties are gaining steam in the U.K. They're drawing support from Britons who are angry about immigration, Islam, LGBTQ rights. Our Jomana Karadsheh breaks down how these extreme voices are becoming more mainstream.

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JOE MULHALL, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, HOPE NOT HATE: There is a magma chamber of anger sat underneath British society right now.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britain's been shifting to the right. I've spent the past few months trying to understand what's happening in this country. No one speak to the media room. Attending far-right protests, including Unite the Kingdom, one of the biggest far-right rallies ever.

On the streets of the U.K., where tens of thousands responded to the call of this man, anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson, a convicted criminal turned anti-establishment figure.

TOMMY ROBINSON: Are you ready for the battle of Britain? KARADSHEH (voice-over): But it's not just on the streets, and it's not just the extreme right that's on the up. The populist right-wing party Reform U.K., led by long-time Trump ally Nigel Farage, made massive gains in local elections in May.

This rightward shift isn't one single movement. The different groups represent different shades of right-wing politics, but they all seem to be feeding off of a divided Britain. At the heart of those divisions is the issue of migration.

Just this week, a horrific attack by a Sudanese refugee on the streets of Belfast almost immediately turned into the latest I told you so moment for the far-right, transforming a local tragedy into a national rallying cry. Powerful allies amplifying the message and fanning the flames of hate.

MULHALL: People in Britain are angry.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Joe Mulholl infiltrated far-right groups, undercover here in the U.K. and in the U.S. He's one of the U.K.'s top experts on these movements.

MULHALL: You know, if you look at the way that people's lives have been, you know, lack of jobs, houses, schools, hospitals, stagnated wages, living standards going down or stagnating for years and years, and they feel that mainstream political parties have not met their material needs. What the far-right are really good at is going to those people, and they turn up and they say, you're right to be angry, and they give them a scapegoat. And they say, it's because someone has come to this country and taken it from you. They're really good at redirecting people's anger from where it should be directed.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): I've seen exactly what Joe's talking about. There have been hundreds of protests across the country over the past year, according to activists tracking far-right movements. It's mostly been about migration and how consecutive governments have dealt with this issue.

And with the center-left Labour Party back in power for the first time in two decades, the far-right senses conditions are ripe for a resurgence. It's in tight-knit communities like this one in the sleepy market town of Faversham outside London, where we saw it all play out late last year. Walking through town with a protest organized by a far-right activist, you see those divisions and feel the anger.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't -- touch me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shame on me?

KARADSHEH: Right now, they're marching towards this facility where unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers, have been housed in this town. KARADSHEH (voice-over): They're a loud crowd, but it's clear there are more noise than numbers. And you do see locals coming out to confront them.

CROWD: Refugees are welcome here.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The main event kicks off with a rambling mix of racist rhetoric, fear-mongering, and white supremacist conspiracy theories.

HARRY HILDEN, ANTI-IMMIGRATION ACTIVIST: They're teaching about Mohammed and Allah. We will not tolerate our children to be taught about LGBTQ and not prone as a belief what they can identify as. We will not tolerate that around here.

PAUL GOLDING, LEADER, BRITAIN FIRST: Keep up the pressure and one day you will be victorious.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): At this one tiny town's protest, we find one of the leaders of the U.K.'s extreme right.

GOLDING: Our country's been taken over by mass immigration. We're fed up. This is not the future that our grandparents and great- grandparents fought for in two world wars. They didn't fight for this to be done to our country.

KARADSHEH: So, you want a white Britain?

GOLDING: We want our country to be like it was before this immigration invasion was foisted on us. Yes.

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You mentioned far-right, neo-Nazi, all that a minute ago, as if that kind of stuff, that doesn't hold any power anymore. You must have learned this from Trump's victory. No one cares if they're called racist anymore. Those terms are just used to silence people.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The re-election of Donald Trump is not only an inspiration for this one extreme right figure. At every far-right event I've been to, it is a constant theme. Trump's Make America Great Again has come to the U.K.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is MEGA. Make England Great Again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is the man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have so much respect for President Trump. He is saving not just America, he is saving the West and he's saving the world.

KARADSHEH: You're wearing this because?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I'm a Donald fan.

KARADSHEH: What is it that's going on? How much of this is really influence from the U.S.?

MULHALL: There's no question they're a huge influence. When the far- right is small little fringe political parties, that sounds fanciful. When you've got Donald Trump in the White House, the most powerful man in the world, they can then point someone and say, look, it's happened there. If it can happen there, it can happen here.

KARADSHEH: Are we headed into a direction where the far-right is turning into a significant political force in Britain?

MULHALL: I think there's no doubt about it, right? The far-right is no longer something that sits on the very margins of our politics in Britain, an annoyance to the right. It is increasingly something that actually has the real chance of taking power in Britain.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The once fringe voices seem to be moving into the mainstream. It's a small but vocal minority that's threatening to change the face of Britain. Now, they believe their moment has arrived.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

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ABDELAZIZ: We'll be right back after the break.

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ABDELAZIZ: The electric energy of the World Cup took over the streets of Mexico City on Saturday. Mariachi music, Day of the Dead Skeletons and marching bands as you can see there took part in a very colorful parade celebrating the tournament. Some of those incredible floats featured tributes to legendary players from World Cups in the past.

A British cycling club has broken four Guinness World Records. The Penny Farthing Club participated in a two-day cycling event called the Nocturne. A penny farthing is a Victorian era bicycle with a large front wheel and a smaller back wheel. Members of the club broke records for riding the largest penny farthing cycle, riding the smallest penny farthing cycle, fastest 100 meters on a penny farthing and the fastest 100 meters on a unicycle while blindfolded.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Salma Abdulaziz in London. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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