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Donald Trump Says He Doesn't Know If He Must Uphold Constitution; Donald Trump Trying To Carry Out Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act; Israeli Cabinet Approves Military Expansion; Crypto Currency Entrepreneur's Father Rescued From Kidnappers. United Nation's top Court Dismisses Genocide Case Against UAE; CNN Speaks To Sinaloa Cartel Member In Secret Hideout. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired May 05, 2025 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:08]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Welcome to what is the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson.
Time here, just after 6:00 p.m.
An interviewer asked President Trump whether he needs to uphold the U.S. Constitution. His answer, I don't know.
Israel officials say the security Cabinet approved a plan to expand military operations in Gaza, conquer territory and keep it.
And CNN gets a rare interview with a member of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, one of the most powerful and feared criminal networks in the world.
Three months after swearing an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, President Donald Trump is saying that he's not sure he's actually going to
do that. Those comments came during an interview with NBC News when he was asked about how his administration has been deporting people without due
process. To be clear, due process is a right protected by the U.S. Constitution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Your secretary of state says everyone who's here, citizens and non-citizens deserve due process. Do you agree,
Mister President?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know. I'm not -- I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.
WELKER: Don't you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?
TRUMP: I don't know. I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the
Supreme Court said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right, CNN Senior Political Reporter Stephen Collinson across this, he's in Washington. Donald Trump, in that interview, said he would
follow whatever the Supreme Court says. But there are questions about whether he is already defying the Supreme Court's ruling that he must
facilitate the return of one Kilmar Abrego Garcia, what do you make of all of this, Stephen?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Donald Trump often says and reminds us all that he is effectively the government's chief law
officer. So, for him to argue that he follows what his lawyers said doesn't make much sense.
On the face of it, I think these comments are -- Donald Trump says a lot of things in a lot of interviews that often contradict themselves. The problem
with these comments is, if you look at the history of the president, the fact that he ignored the result of a free and fair election, that his
supporters rioted to try and overturn the result of that election, all of the things he's done this second term, pushing presidential power to the
absolute extent of what we understand it to be, and in some cases beyond it, that is why these comments are troubling.
And I think, you know, this is the reason a lot of people are very worried about the direction this presidency is going to take.
ANDERSON: I just want to quote a little bit from your latest digital piece in which you write, and I quote, "Trump is acting like it's his choice
whether he obeys the Constitution." And we've seen this in various legal battles with judges on different issues. Who reigns him in here, who puts
him in check?
COLLINSON: Well, the only institution really that has put him in check in his second term is the courts, and the administration is arguing
effectively that district judges, the lowest rung of the federal courts, do not have the power to rein in the president. That's a completely false
argument. They're saying that he is acting on the will of the people, because he won what they say is a landslide election, which wasn't a
landslide, by the way.
But the Constitution is clear that the judicial branch, the judges, do have the right to constrain the power of the presidency. In fact, Supreme Court
Justice John Roberts has underlined that in a rare statement on this issue.
What I think the administration is complaining about is that some of the judges in lower courts were appointed by Democratic presidents. That
shouldn't make a difference, but to them, it does. And what we will see, and what we are seeing is all of these cases eventually going after the
Supreme Court in many cases, the administration is petitioning to take these cases to the Supreme Court on a fast track, because it believes that
the conservative majority that Trump built during his first term will be helpful to the president.
That has been the case in some issues, not on all constitutional ones where there has been some reining in of the president's power.
So, I think what we have is a -- is a president who believes there are almost no constraints on his power. It's not clear he even knows what's in
the constitution, let alone takes care to follow it, and we're going to have these big decisions that end up in the Supreme Court really historic
decisions, one that will track the future of the United States and the nature of presidential power itself.
[10:05:30]
ANDERSON: I guess the line on the Constitution, his answer, I don't know when it came to whether he needs to obey the U.S. constitution is the -- is
a part of the interview which is really sort of dominating headlines.
He was also asked about Greenland and whether he'd use force to fulfill what are his expansionist designs. And he said, "I don't rule it out. I
don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly." And he might be expanding his ambitions to
further land as well. He certainly talked about that. What do you make of those comments, Stephen?
COLLINSON: This whole expansionist agenda that Trump has unveiled was quite a surprise. He never talked about it during the campaign trail. He's also,
of course, talked about the Panama Canal, making Canada the 51st state.
You know, let's think about what this would mean. It would be the United States, the vital power in NATO invading the territory effectively of a
fellow member, Denmark, which has jurisdiction over Greenland.
If that wasn't crazy enough, the idea that the United States would suddenly send troops there would have been considered absolutely absurd in any
previous modern presidency, but this one, there is a sense, I think, in which Trump says a lot of things for effect. He likes people to be shocked.
This is good for his political support among his most loyal supporters.
And the fact is, is that the United States doesn't need to invade Greenland. Denmark has made it very clear that it would be interested in
talking to the U.S. about, you know, sending more military to Greenland, to the base it has up there. Greenland has been a fulcrum of transatlantic
security under NATO since the end of the Second World War, and it was indeed before NATO in the -- during the Second World War.
So, a lot of this is for effect. It's difficult to believe that the president would do this, but he likes people to think that he might.
ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, Stephen, thank you. Stephen Collinson in the house for you. Regular guest on our show.
Well, today, a Trump appointed judge will hear arguments in Pennsylvania over the administration's attempt to quickly deport Venezuelan migrants to
El Salvador under what is the Alien Enemies Act.
Now, the judge has already temporarily blocked the deportation of detainees from an ICE facility in her district.
CNN's Kevin Liptak following this story for us. Kevin, what reaction has the White House had on this hearing?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I mean, when you talk to White House officials, they try and allege that some of these judges,
including the judge in this case, who I should note, was appointed by Trump himself, have overstepped their bounds when they're trying to enforce some
of their judicial rulings.
And when it comes to the Alien Enemies Act, this has been such a contentious point for the administration, obviously, they're trying to use
this centuries old law, alleging that the country is under attack by migrants.
Their opponents, including the ACLU, which has brought the suit in this case, says, that that is not the case, and so this is an ongoing battle by
the administration to carry out what the president promised would be mass deportations upon taking office.
You know, it was very telling to hear the president in an interview yesterday talk about this idea of due process that's obviously enshrined in
the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
But when you're trying to remove people using these summary deportations allowed under the Alien Enemies Act, they aren't afforded this due process.
And in this interview, the president was questioned repeatedly whether anyone on American soil was allowed to have their day in court. And the
president said repeatedly, I don't know. I don't know, pointing back to his lawyers, saying that they were, you know, very well trained, and that they
would have a better answer for that.
And finally, when the interviewer asked whether the president himself was required to uphold the Constitution in any capacity, he again said, I don't
know.
And so, this was, you know, quite a striking moment, very revealing exchange by the president, and I think it just goes to show that he's
frustrated that these deportations have not happened more quickly. He's clearly testing the bounds of his executive power to try and carry out this
campaign promise of his, trying to get these undocumented migrants removed from the country.
[10:10:12]
Left unsaid is how exactly you can ascertain whether they're undocumented or whether they're criminals if they are not afforded to due process.
And so, clearly, this will be a subject and a case that continues moving through the court systems in the United States. But like so much of the
president's agenda, just over 100 days since he took office, it will continue to be tied up in the legal system, perhaps all the way to the
Supreme Court as this all sort of works through the American legal process, Becky.
ANDERSON: Kevin Liptak at the White House. It's 10 past 10:00 in Washington. Thank you.
Another immigration story that we are following, a woman deported from the U.S. to her native Cuba, says that she was separated from her 17-month-old
daughter after an immigration meeting.
Heidy Sanchez has never been charged or convicted of any crime and says she was not given the option to take her child back with her. CNN also spoke to
the U.S. government about this case to get their side of the story. Our full report available on CNN Digital, and we invite you to check that out.
War weary Palestinians now face another mass displacement and an increase in Israeli attacks in Gaza against Hamas after Israeli officials said the
security cabinet voted to expand military operations in Gaza. The official telling CNN the plan involves, "The conquest of territory and remaining
there." It also calls for creating a new framework for delivering assistance desperately needed as the people of Gaza endure what is now a
ninth week of an Israeli blockade and all humanitarian aid.
These moves coming ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to the region, to the Gulf later in May.
Well, I'm joined this hour by CNN Political and Global Affairs Analyst Barak Ravid, also the Global Affairs Correspondent for Axios. Always a --
always good to have you.
Barak, let's start with Israeli officials suggesting this operation is expected to go forward after President Trump's visit, very specifically,
the vote is in. They've agreed. You know, they voted for this expansion in operations. What do you make of this?
BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think, Becky, that this is a signal that while the Israeli cabinet approved the operation, it
is still on hold.
And what Netanyahu is hoping to achieve and some other members of its cabinet is to use this decision and President Trump's visit to the region
next week to somehow, you know, rock this boat of the stalemate in the negotiations over a hostage and cease fire dealing Gaza.
At least for now, it's completely stuck, and they hope that Hamas will see this decision and say, well, you know what, maybe we'll soften a bit our
positions.
But Becky, at least for now, Hamas doesn't seem to budge, and it doesn't seem also that it's very concerned by this upcoming massive Israeli
operation in Gaza.
ANDERSON: Meantime, we've also had it on good authority that Israel is looking at this -- to establish a new mechanism for aid deliveries. We
certainly have heard Donald Trump say that we've got to be good to Gaza, I think was his line a week or so ago, and that they need food and aid,
medicine very specifically.
We know the situation is dire there. We also know that the U.N. and aid agencies have announced that they won't cooperate with a new Israeli U.S.
plan to establish this new mechanism.
So, what do we know at this point, and what's the likelihood of this moving forward to some sort of proposal that everybody agrees on?
RAVID: I think at the moment, it's not very likely, because it's all -- it's all connected together, OK? If there's no hostage in cease fire deal
by mid-May, Israel will launch this massive operation. Part of this massive operation is displacing, again, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to
the southern parts of the Gaza Strip, with the hope of building there some sort of a humanitarian area that will be managed by an international fund -
- international foundation, excuse me, that is still not really existent.
And this foundation will get money from donor countries. There are no donor countries that have agreed to give money, and they will deliver, you know,
humanitarian aid to those million -- 1.5 billion Palestinians who will be there.
[10:15:11]
This is all great on paper, but nothing -- I stress, nothing of that has still really happened. And I think that if this is going to happen in two,
three weeks, then we might find ourselves in a massive, massive, massive crisis.
And Becky, you know, another thing, if there's one thing I hear from a lot of Israeli officials, is that the Trump administration is sort of checked
out of this whole thing. They're focused on Russia, Ukraine. They're focused on nuclear talks on Iran, but the Gaza issue, which Trump focused
on and pushed very hard during his inauguration and managed to get, you know, a hostage and ceasefire deal together with the Biden administration,
showed the last three months, it seems, that nothing of the U.S. efforts has borne any fruit.
ANDERSON: Yes. Now, you talk about the U.S. being focused on Iran talks. This weekend, the Houthis targeted Israel's main airport with a ballistic
missile.
Of course, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Iran for being backing the Houthis and effectively being behind this. Have a listen to what he
said after the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are operating against them. We acted before. We will act in the future too. I
can't elaborate on all of that. The U.S. in coordination with us, is also operating against them. It's not one and done, but there will be hits.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Notably, he said, in coordination with the U.S., and we know that the U.S. is actively targeting Houthis in Yemen at present. Is it clear how
the U.S. and Israel are coordinated on the Houthis at this point?
RAVID: Well, I think that Israel, in the past, conducted several attacks in Yemen in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israel. It has
stopped doing that since the Trump administration launched its military campaign against the Houthis, because the U.S. said, let us take care of
the Houthis.
But over the last week or two, the Houthis have increased their missile attacks on Israel almost every day. There are such attacks and the Israelis
said, you know, we had enough. We need to retaliate.
Whether this will change anything on the ground, I doubt it. The Houthi -- the Houthis don't seem to be deterred, and they make clear that they will
stop firing those missiles once the war in Gaza ends. The war in Gaza doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon, and I think that if you look at the
big picture for a moment, the Trump administration, or Trump himself, said that he's going to end forever wars. It seems that at least the Gaza war is
becoming more and more a forever war that the Trump administration doesn't seem to want to stop.
ANDERSON: Well, it's a conflict which has dominated this region. His trip next week is to see Gulf allies, all of whom are looking for de-escalation.
They want to see an end to conflict in this region. They want to see more economic integration, not less. They don't want to see a policy of
containment any longer or maximalist approaches to conflict in this region.
What do you expect from Trump's trip to the region, notably, not to Israel?
RAVID: Yes, and I think that's a very interesting point, that he's not going to Israel. And the reason he's not going to Israel is that, as one
U.S. official told me, that he's not going to get anything out of a trip in Israel other than a headache. And this is because the Trump administration
knows that the Gaza war is not going anywhere at the moment.
And I think that what they realize more and more is that this war in Gaza could hijack Trump's whole agenda in the region, because it doesn't stay
isolated in Gaza, it influences the entire region.
And Trump is trying in this trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, to focus on bilateral issues, investments, A.I., weapon sales but it never
works, because in every meeting, at least in Saudi Arabia, I'm sure that he's going to meet MBS, the crown prince, and on the second day he's going
to have a summit with all the leaders of the GCC, all of them are going to mention Gaza this way or another. And I think Trump will hear it very, very
clearly from those leaders during his trip.
ANDERSON: And it's interesting, I'm hearing less and less about the normalization as an agenda point for this Trump administration, a key
foreign policy pillar for the first Trump administration, of course, with the Abraham Accord signed back in 2020 but with the Saudis being very
specific about needing to see a credible path to a Palestinian state, which is not on the agenda as far as Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned, we're
hearing less about that normalization pillar than perhaps we might have expected.
[10:20:31]
It's good to have you. If you're in region, it will be good to see you next week. Thank you, Barak.
Well, coming up, a kidnapping, a severed finger and a stunning police rescue. It is the latest in a series of abductions apparently tied to
crypto currency. A live report from Paris on that is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the Paris prosecutor's office says five people are in custody after police rescued the father of a crypto currency entrepreneur
this weekend, but not before his finger was severed by the alleged kidnappers. It is the latest in what is a slew of abductions tied to
crypto.
Police say the victim was forced into a van by four men wearing ski masks on a Paris Street in Thursday and kept in an Airbnb for two days.
Joining us live from Paris, CNN's International Correspondent Melissa Bell. Where are the police in their investigation here? Just explain what's going
on.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just getting underway. In fact, this man, a man believed to be in his 50s, Becky, was only liberated over the course
of the weekend, spent a couple of days going through this horrifying ordeal, during which his finger was cut off in order to try and extract a
ransom from his son, this millionaire crypto currency entrepreneur, and he was taken from the streets of Paris in broad daylight last Thursday. One
eyewitness, who chose not to be identified, watched the whole thing unfold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There were some hooded men who arrived, who took the man who was shouting. We were in a bit of a panic. We
didn't know what to do, honestly, the scene was pretty shocking. The man was shouting loudly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: It would have been a terrifying ordeal for him, and of course, then he was taken to the south of Paris, about 12 kilometers outside of Paris
itself, this Airbnb, where he was kept for a couple of days.
Interestingly, what we understand is that the police managed to track him and the group holding him down through phone signals, which doesn't
suggest, Becky, a terribly sophisticated operation.
And then there is the ages -- there are the ages, I'm sorry, of those who are currently being questioned and were taken by police, they're between 23
and 26, very young.
It is, as I say, the very start of the investigation. But I think what's interesting here is that we're beginning to understand that this is not the
first in this sort of very brazen, very brutal kind of kidnapping of relatives, of people who've made a lot of money, whether they are
influencers or entrepreneurs in the crypto world, over the course of the last few months here in France.
[10:25:11]
In fact, since January, this is the third case of its sort, David Balland who created as the co-founder of the crypto currency wallet company Ledger
was kidnapped along with his wife from central France a few weeks ago, had his fingers severed already (ph) as well as ransom was sought from his co-
founder. His wife and he were both liberated eventually.
And there was another case where the father of a crypto currency influencer was rescued from the bush of a car, where it is understood that they were
also seeking some sort of ransom from the son who's believed to live in Dubai.
So, a series of these cases, we don't know, for the time being, Becky, whether there's any connection. What does connect them is their sheer
brutality and the fact that, as I say, they all targeted the relatives of people who made money, whether they're influencers or entrepreneurs in the
world of crypto currency, Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Melissa, thank you, remarkable. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me. Becky Anderson, your headlines this hour. And two Israeli officials say Israel's security
cabinet voted to expand military operations in Gaza. They say that the plan calls for, "The conquest territory and remaining there, as well as creating
a new framework for delivering aid, which Israel has blocked from entering Gaza for two months."
Ukraine's president is urging allies to put more pressure on Russia to end the fighting in his country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was speaking during a
visit to the Czech Republic, which has been a key ally of Ukraine throughout the war.
He also said a cease fire deal with Russia could be put in place at any time, as soon as it is agreed on.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he doesn't know if he has to follow the Constitution. Well, that is despite vowing to uphold it when he was sworn
into office a few weeks ago.
Mr. Trump was asked if he had a responsibility to uphold it in an interview over the weekend, his response, I don't know.
Well, the U.N.'s top court has dismissed a case brought by Sudan that alleged that the United Arab Emirates violated the Genocide Convention by
supporting paramilitary forces in Sudan's Darfur region.
The International Court of Justice said it did not have jurisdiction to take measures against the UAE, Sudan accused UAE of arming the rapid
support forces or the RSF in its fight against the Sudanese army, the SAF.
[10:30:08]
Well, the UAE said, the ICJ's ruling was, "a clear and decisive affirmation of the fact that this case was utterly baseless."
Well, I want to bring in the UAE's ambassador to the U.N. Mohamed Abushahab, who joins me now live from New York.
I just want to get your response to this ruling. I mean, this has been effectively thrown out no jurisdiction, says the ICJ. Were you expecting
that, Ambassador?
MOHAMED ABUSHAHAB, UNITED NATIONS DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Becky, thank you for having me.
We were absolutely expecting it, and we welcome the result. It should -- this case should never have been brought before the case. The courts --
removing it from the court's general list at this stage actually has never -- hasn't happened for the past 25 years.
But sadly, Becky, this entire case is a distraction from the grave and catastrophic humanitarian situation that is unfolding in Sudan and that the
Sudanese people have endured for the past two years.
What we really should be focused on is getting a ceasefire that silences the guns and stops the killing, facilitating humanitarian aid to enter into
Sudan, and reach those who are desperately in need. And of course, we need a political process that restores a civilian-led government independent
from military rule.
ANDERSON: This ruling does not change the reality on the ground, unfortunately, to your point. The suffering continues for the people of
Sudan. You've emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire. What steps will the UAE take to help achieve that, sir?
ABUSHAHAB: Well, we will continue to engage with international partners. And what we really need to move towards is a single, credible peace
process. We cannot allow the warring parties to exploit fragmentation or multiple initiatives and have them forum shopping.
What we need is a political process with the African Union and United Nations at its center, and that will compel the warring parties to come to
the negotiating table.
Let's not forget, it's these warring parties that started this conflict in April 2023. It's these warring parties that had a military coup in 2021
that overthrew a civilian government, and it's only these warring parties that will be able to end the suffering of the Sudanese people.
ANDERSON: Right. But there have been great efforts, and those warring parties have not come to an agreement on stopping this fighting.
You call for an immediate cease fire, and there has been much effort to find that over the past year or couple of years. We haven't got there.
Donald Trump will be visiting the region a week from today, no indication that Sudan is playing high on his agenda. Without U.S. involvement, do you
worry about the possibility of getting to a cease fire?
ABUSHAHAB: Becky, President Trump's visit to the region will be an opportunity to discuss issues of mutual interest, including bringing
greater stability to our region. But the efforts on Sudan are actually global in nature, and there are international partners, as I said, both in
Africa and the United Nations, in Europe, who are engaged on the -- on this devastating conflict, and who are working to compel the warring parties to
end the fighting and to allow humanitarian assistance to get in and to move us back to a political process that leads to civilian government.
This is what the Sudanese people want. And, you know, there has to be accountability for the atrocities that are being committed on the ground.
And, you know, we will work, as I said, with our partners, both in the diplomatic efforts, and in the meantime, also, on meeting the dire
humanitarian needs of the Sudanese people.
[10:35:06]
ANDERSON: I just want to get our viewers, finally, just a little more of the statement, immediately, in response to this ruling today from the UAE.
"Quite simply, today's decision represents a resounding rejection of the Sudanese Armed Forces attempt to instrumentalize the court for its campaign
of misinformation and to distract from its own responsibility."
It goes on to say, and I quote, "The fact speak for themselves. UAE bears no responsibility for the conflict in Sudan. On the contrary, the
atrocities committed by the warring parties are well-documented."
One of those warring parties, of course, is the RSF. The allegations over the past couple of years have been that since this war began, the UAE has
been arming the RSF.
So, sir, I give you the opportunity just we've had a number of conversations on CNN about this and what is going on, on the ground. Can I
just get you to explain quite clearly, then, from your perspective, what the relationship with the RSF is from the UAE point of view?
ABUSHAHAB: Well, Becky, thank you for that, because, you know, I've said this many times, and I think it's worth repeating: the UAE has not, does
not, and will not support any warring party in Sudan's civil war.
And in fact, the recently published U.N. Panel of Experts report made no findings against the UAE. What the Panel of Experts report did find is that
the warring parties have committed the trust on the ground, and that the staff's indiscriminate air strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure
amounts to war crimes.
Now, you know this has been a part of a series of misuses of U.N. platforms, including here in the U.N. at the Security Council, where the
SAF has propagated this baseless disinformation campaign that's really designed to distract from its own failures.
And instead of diverting attention, the SAF really should focus on ending the suffering of the Sudanese people.
ANDERSON: Ambassador, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us, and we will be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressuring his Mexican counterpart to take decisive action against cartels that traffic massive
amounts of drugs into the United States.
Well, Mexico has responded by deploying hundreds of troops to the state of Sinaloa.
[10:40:01]
CNN's Isobel Yeung went there to see what impact that is having. Some of the images in her report, I have to warn you, are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right now, we're just racing through town following this group of volunteer para medics on that
motorbike.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): I can't stand the pain in the arm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): If I take it off, you will bleed to death. He has a hemorrhage, which could be fatal.
Here, hold this.
YEUNG: This area is very heavily populated by cartel members. And right now, this guy is losing a lot of blood. So, it's a bit of a race against
time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): This is risky for us because the ambulance is very late, and we are exposed here.
YEUNG: Violence erupts almost every night here in Sinaloa, Mexico, the heartland of one of the most powerful criminal gangs in the world, the
Sinaloa Cartel.
Once led by the notorious drug lord El Chapo, this cartel is responsible for selling huge quantities of drugs to U.S. consumers.
TRUMP: The cartels are waging war in America, and it's time for America to wage war on the cartels, which we are doing.
YEUNG: President Donald Trump is pressuring Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum to crack down on the cartels, threatening tariffs and even
military strikes.
In response, hundreds of soldiers have already been added to the troops here in Sinaloa. We've come here to understand what that looks like, from
hidden drug labs and defiant cartel members --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): The situation is ugly.
YEUNG: To grieving families. And soldiers on the front line.
We were with the military right now, flying over the state of Sinaloa, over this massive expanse of rural land, looking for any signs of cartel
activity.
The small cannabis than I've ever seen in my life. Scale of drugs here is just enormous. I mean, this is the whole field of marijuana here. These
guys are going to be camped up here for the next few days, just trying to destroy field upon field of cannabis, of poppies.
So, is this area safe?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, secured area. We need to make aerial reconnaissance, and then, vehicle and then on foot. And here is a poppy
field.
YEUNG: Oh, wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, they slice the poppy to get the opium, and they start the process to get heroin.
YEUNG: So, how much heroin does a field like this produce?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two kilos.
YEUNG: Two kilos.
YEUNG (voice over): The soldiers burned the poppies and marijuana. But it's synthetic drugs that are responsible for most of the 87,000 Americans who
have died of overdoses in the space of a year. These drugs like fentanyl and meth can be produced in much bigger quantities, generate enormous
profits and are easier to hide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The criminals build their work arena. In place least accessible for the authority to discover.
YEUNG: I can smell it from here. It's very strong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. OK, look over here. This is an area with the chemical products. The cartel come, work two or three hours, produce 20,
50, 100 kilos of methamphetamine. They finish, they leave, and they take the production with them.
This laboratory won't be rebuilt elsewhere. Everything here will be destroyed,
YEUNG (voice over): In the first six months of Sheinbaum's presidency, thousands of suspected cartel members have been arrested, and more than 140
tons of drugs have been seized.
But the reality is, more than 1,200 people have also been killed in Sinaloa in the past year, hundreds more have disappeared, an uncomfortable fact for
the Mexican military.
In downtown Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, the military's narrative that they are fully in control begins to unravel.
YEUNG: The rates of violence are still extremely high here. And since September, when this war between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel
exploded, people have been dying on a daily basis.
Very stark reminders here of people who are missing, who have been disappeared as part of this cartel war between the two factions that's
playing out right now. All very recent cases. This was last week, 23-year- old went missing.
[10:45:04]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those, you cannot say if they are real.
YEUNG: What do you mean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those flyers are old?
YEUNG: No, this is the -- post the date here.
This is the 22nd of March, they went missing. Right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Yes, but this is a copy.
Who put this? We don't know.
YEUNG (voice over): As we're talking, a soldier blocks our camera.
YEUNG: You mean, it's not verified? Yes. Presumably, people are not just putting up posters for the fun of it. They look putting them up because
they are missing family members, right?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know. We don't know.
YEUNG: What's up? You don't want us filming it?
YEUNG (voice over): The military steer us off and invite us to film something else.
But we call the number on the poster of the missing woman. Her name is Vivian Aispuro. Her family tell us she disappeared 17 days ago. We promised
to follow up on her story.
But who are the men running this criminal network wreaking havoc on people living here?
We part ways with the military.
YEUNG: So, we've just entered an area of the city that is still very dangerous. After weeks of trying our contact here on the ground, just
managed to secure a meeting with a member of the cartel who is involved, apparently, in the production of drugs, and so, we are meeting him now in
somewhere around here, in an undisclosed location.
YEUNG (text): How are you?
YEUNG (voice over): This man is talking to us on the condition we hide his identity and location.
YEUNG: Can I pull up a chair?
YEUNG (voice over): He says he produces fentanyl for the Sinaloa Cartel.
YEUNG: How safe or dangerous is this area to be in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Right now, all areas are dangerous.
YEUNG: In the Mexican military making a big effort to crack down on the drug production here, how are you responding to that? And how does that
impact your work?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): They are doing a good job.
There are more of them now, so we have to find a way to keep doing this, to keep working. Of course, on a smaller scale, not the same as before. But it
continues.
YEUNG: I mean, according to the Trump administration, you are a terrorist. I mean, the cartels have been labeled a foreign terrorist organization.
What do you make of that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Well, the situation is ugly. But we have to eat.
YEUNG: What's your message to Donald Trump, if he's watching this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): My respect. According to him, he is looking out for his people. But the problem is the consumers are in the United States.
If there were not any consumers, we would stop.
YEUNG: There is a lot of violence playing out on these streets here at the moment, every day, right? I mean, people are dying on a daily basis.
Children are afraid to go to school. Do you have any sense of remorse over your role and your involvement in this group?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Of course. Of course.
Things are sad, but -- well -- things are sad.
YEUNG (voice over): His phone is pinging. Someone is nearby, he tells us, we need to leave for our own safety.
It's because of the actions of cartel members like these, that civilians, too are caught up in this violence.
Vivian Aispuro, the missing woman from the poster, was one of them. Her body has just been found.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): Don't take her away from me, please.
YEUNG: I'm so sorry for your loss. I really am. Are you able to tell me a little bit about your sister?
ALMA AISPURO, SISTER OF CARTEL VICTIM (through translator): She was a happy girl. She had everything she ever wanted. She was very loved. She really
likes cats, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga. We wanted to go to her concert together. Not anymore.
YEUNG: I mean, there has been -- you know, there's massive escalation in violence here over the last few months with these conflicts taking place.
Do you feel like your sister's death is related to that?
AISPURO (text): Yes. Yes, I think that -- I don't think she got involved with any dangerous people. But the violence raging here in Culiacan led to
this. Because before, there were codes. Women and children were respected.
YEUNG: I mean, the authorities are saying that they are going after the bad guys. They are making a lot of arrests. They are going after the drugs.
They are going after the weapons. Do you feel like they are not doing enough?
AISPURO (text): No, they are not doing anything. Culiacan has become a place where it's impossible to live.
YEUNG: Thank you for talking with us. I mean, you are being so strong, she'd be so proud of you.
[10:50:03]
AISPURO (text): Thank you very much. Really.
YEUNG: Thank you.
AISPURO (text): Thank you for telling my sister's story.
YEUNG (voice over): For Vivian's family, the authorities' efforts amount to nothing more than anguish.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): My daughter.
YEUNG (voice over): Isobel Yeung, CNN, Sinaloa, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Jury selection for Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial got off to a late start in New York this morning, picking a jury is expected to last
all week. Music mogul has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
He is accused of drugging women and forcing them to have sex. He rejected a plea deal. If he's found guilty, he could face life in prison.
Well, CNN's Kara Scannell joining me from outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan.
Cara, with so much publicity surrounding this case, just how difficult is it going to be to seat a jury?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this courthouse in particular, sees a number of high-profile cases. So, the judges here have a
system where they try to root out any biases or any impartiality in the case. And the questioning has just gotten underway. The first juror was
brought into the room, and the judge is homing in on specific questions to get at the issues in this case.
The main issue here, of course, comes on trial for sex trafficking, and the judge trying to understand whether these individual jurors not if they have
experiences or if they have knowledge of the case, but can they be fair and impartial?
So, among the questions that he was asking is, has any of these jurors had any training in domestic violence, psychology, things that will become an
issue at the -- in the trial. Other questions, have you ever been a victim of the crime? And how was that resolved?
As well as asking the jurors if they have any feelings of impartial -- if they have any feelings about their beliefs or experiences with certain
areas, and he ticked off a number of them that he said would make them feel that they could be impartial, and that including if they have experiences
with rape, hiring of sex workers, infidelity, firearms, they have views on the hip hop industry, or if they have any concerns with testimony coming
from witnesses who will be testifying under a pseudonym.
We do understand that at least two of these alleged victims will be testifying under assumed names, and also if anyone has received immunity in
exchange for their testimony. So, trying to understand if anyone, just based on that, would have any issues about being fair and impartial as they
hear the evidence in the case. Because they don't have to find someone who has never heard of P. Diddy. They just have to find someone who can put
whatever they know aside and make their evaluations on the evidence based on what comes into the court. Becky?
ANDERSON: Opening statement set for next Monday. Let's just talk finally about the key witnesses, if we can. Who are they?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the government star witness will be Combs' former long-time girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
[10:55:02]
It was her civil lawsuit that prompted this criminal investigation. Prosecutors have also said that they are going to call three other alleged
victims, as well as a former romantic partner of Combs, a former personal chef, and some other people who work for him.
A lot of these names will start to come out once the trial gets underway, but it's Cassie Ventura is going to be a key witness in this case, and
someone that will ultimately face a lot of cross examination from Combs' attorneys. His lawyers have say that this was not sex trafficking, that
this was part of a lifestyle, and that prosecutors are trying to criminalize this lifestyle that he was living, but they say he has done
nothing wrong, and that any of the sex acts that issues, in this case was consensual. Becky?
ANDERSON: Kara, thank you.
All right, folks. That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson from the team here. It's a very good evening. Stay with CNN and "ONE WORLD" up
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
