NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Episode Date: June 12, 2024

Hunter Biden was found guilty on all charges in his federal gun case, Secretary of State Blinken met with hostage families as Hamas responds to ceasefire proposal, ICE has arrested 8 men with suspected ties to ISIS, and more in tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the historic verdict. Hunter Biden found guilty in all three counts in his federal gun trial. President Biden late today flying to Delaware and embracing his son on the tarmac after the jury found Hunter Biden guilty of lying about his drug use on a federal form used to buy a gun. He's now the first child of a sitting president convicted of a crime as his father faces a fierce reelection battle. Our interview with one of the jurors, what he says happened in the room, and could Hunter Biden be facing time in prison? Our team at the courthouse, also tonight, Hamas, responding to the newest Gaza ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S.

And our exclusive interview with the families of American hostages after the deadly raid that freed four Israelis being held. The sting across the U.S. Eight men with suspected ties to ISIS arrested in three major cities after crossing the southern border. Our new reporting. The gunman opening fire at a downtown Atlanta food court, injuring three before he shot by police. What we're learning, a horrifying attack in China. Several American teachers stabbed in a public park. The suspect in custody. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Tonight, justice is once more taking presidential history into new

waters. The first child of a sitting U.S. president has been convicted of a crime. A jury in Delaware fighting presidential son Hunter Biden, guilty of three federal counts related to his purchase of a gun during a period he was using drugs. Hunter Biden's addiction struggles are well known, but special prosecutor David Weiss rejecting the idea that the case was just about addiction, saying the case was really about the illegal choices Hunter Biden made. After releasing a statement in which he once more vowed to accept the verdict, President Biden flying to Delaware, where he was greeted by his son Hunter, on the tarmac. Ryan Nobles is in Delaware tonight with the latest. Tonight, President Biden arriving in Delaware,

hugging his son on the tarmac after Hunter Biden became the first child of a sitting president found guilty in a criminal trial. No one in this country is above the law. It took just three hours of deliberations for 12 jurors to unanimously determine that Hunter Biden was guilty of three felony counts for lying about his drug use on a federal background check in order to buy a gun. Special Counsel David Weiss, who oversaw the prosecution, saying this was not a case about Hunter's struggles with crack, but his decision to break the law. His choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun and the choice to then possess that gun. It was these choices and the combination of guns and drugs that made his conduct dangerous. Inside the courtroom,

the president's 54-year-old son did not react as the verdict was read. He left the courthouse holding the hand of the first lady, later releasing a statement saying, I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. The verdict comes after four days of damning testimony from people who are or were once close to Hunter Biden. Many testifying about his drug use around the time he filled out the background check saying he was not a drug user. Zoe Keston, his ex-girlfriend, testifying she witnessed Hunter smoking crack every 20 minutes or so. The prosecution also using clips from Hunter's own book. I had no plan beyond the moment-to-moment demands of the crack pipe. The defense had argued

Hunter Biden did not knowingly lie on the form. Tonight, we spoke to juror number 10, who asked that we conceal his identity. But you felt you and your jurors separating the politics from the case was not? Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. And this is for us. It was not politically motivated. Politics never played in anything that we said in the jury room. President Biden, who said he would not pardon his son, writing, Jill and I love our son and we are so proud of the man he is today. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that. So, Ryan, what now? What happens next for the Hunter Biden case? Well, Hunter Biden's defense team has said that they will appeal this case.

Right now, he is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison if the sentences are handed down concurrently. At this point, the judge has not set a sentencing date. Lester. All right, Ryan Nobles, thanks for more on the verdict. We're joined by senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett. Laura, what's the most likely sentence we could see in this case? Well, Lester, this sentencing is still roughly four months off at this point, so both sides will have a chance to present their arguments. But realistically, the judge is likely to give him a sentence significantly shorter than that maximum Ryan outlined because he's a first time offender with no criminal history. And he faces another trial as well. He does. And that one is set to start in September. He's pleaded not guilty to charges of tax evasion in California, where prosecutors say he failed to pay taxes on millions

in foreign income, instead spending that money on drugs, hotels, cars. Now, his attorneys argue he ultimately repaid those taxes. But if convicted there, he faces even more time, up to 17 years in prison. And in that case, because of his conviction today, he would have a criminal history that that judge must consider, Lester. All right, Laura, thanks very much. This verdict, of course, coming against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential race. Hallie Jackson is with us now. Hallie, how does this potentially impact the campaign? Well, Lester, for the president, it is deeply personal. And look at the timing here. Key moments like his son's sentencing, like the next trial, are likely to collide with the heart of

the fall election season. That said, the guilty verdict may also undercut one of the attack lines former President Trump has used. His claims the justice system is weaponized against him, considering the guilty verdict for the president's own son. Hunter Biden's conviction may complicate some Democrats' push to hammer Mr. Trump as a convicted felon. But Hunter Biden, of course, is not on the ballot. The Trump campaign calling this trial, in their words, a distraction from what they allege are other Biden family crimes, despite a GOP-led investigation turning up no evidence of that. And keep in mind that while this moment is historic, polls consistently show voters say they care far more about the economy and immigration.

Lester. Allie Jackson, thank you. Turning overseas, Hamas today responding formally to the newest Israeli ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S. And after that deadly raid that freed four Israeli hostages, we're hearing exclusively from families of Americans still held by Hamas. Andrea Mitchell is in Amman, Jordan tonight. Today, eight months into the war, hostage families demanding the return of their loved ones out front of the Secretary of State's hotel in Tel Aviv.

America's top diplomat telling them, It's important every minute to bring everyone home. He met privately with the families of the American hostages. I spoke exclusively with several, including the mother of Itay Chen, who's been told her son was killed, but says she won't believe it until Hamas returns his body. We didn't have a burial.

We did not bury him. We don't have a grave. We did not see the Shiva. For me, Ittai is still alive. It comes after that dramatic rescue mission, Israeli forces freeing four hostages, three of them held by Hamas in this home. Aviva Siegel, who herself was kidnapped on October 7th with her husband Keith. She was later released, but she's scared that that military operation may make it harder for Keith and the other hostages still being held by Hamas.

They're going to hide them, that they're going to be nervous and take it all out on the hostages. Late today, Hamas responded to the Israeli ceasefire offer. The White House says it's still evaluating what they said. Secretary Blinken has demanded the leader of Hamas accept the deal. Are they looking after one guy who may be, for now, safe, buried, I don't know, 10 stories underground somewhere in Gaza, while the people that he purports to represent continue to suffer in a crossfire of his own making? It comes after the Wall Street Journal obtained messages from that Hamas leader,

Yahya Sinwar, saying he believes more Palestinian deaths work to his advantage, calling civilian deaths necessary sacrifices. Tonight, the White House's John Kirby. It should surprise and shock no one that a beast like Mr. Sinwar would actually take glee in it. And tomorrow, the Secretary's final Middle East stop in Qatar, the key negotiator with Hamas to assess next steps. Lester. All right, Andrew, thank you. Back home now to the terror arrests across the country. We've learned several men with suspected ties to ISIS living in the U.S. have been taken into custody. Julia Ainsley is with

us with more. Julia, what happened? Lester, the eight suspects are men from Tajikistan who were all arrested by ICE over the weekend in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York. Sources familiar with the matter tell us the men crossed the southern border some over a year ago and that border agents found no evidence of terror ties at the time. A recent FBI probe then uncovered the eight men may have ties to ISIS, similar to a case we first reported here at NBC News last month. That one involved an Uzbek migrant in Baltimore with suspected ISIS ties. Tonight, the FBI and DHS say the suspects are now in ICE custody and warned that the U.S. is in a heightened threat environment for terrorism. Lester. Julia Ainsley, thank you.

Also tonight, the FBI reporting the nation's violent crime rate has dropped dramatically this year. The news coming as police in Atlanta today responded to a shooting with multiple victims at a popular shopping area. Here's Tom Costello. In Atlanta today, multiple people shot at a downtown food court. Police say three were wounded. The suspect also shot. Somebody like screamed like, there's a shooting, there's a shooter, like run.

It comes even as the latest FBI crime stats show violent crime actually dropped dramatically during the first three months of the year after surging during the pandemic. Among the 72% of police agencies reporting to the FBI, murder down 26% nationwide compared to a year ago. Rape down 25 percent. Robbery down 17 percent. The city breakout in Chicago year to date, murders down 16 percent. D.C. down 24 percent. San Francisco down 38 percent. Philadelphia down 41%. Philly's police commissioner, Kevin Bethel. We have specific targeted areas of the city that have a large level of violence,

and so we're really being very strategic. But not all cities are seeing improvement. Murders are up double digits in L.A., Baton Rouge, Kansas City, Orlando, Wichita, and Colorado Springs. In Pompano Beach, Florida, police and federal agents just wrapped up a six-week sweep targeting guns and drugs, arresting 132 suspects, and confiscating dozens of weapons. We come out, we risk our lives, we chase down the bad people. In Washington today, President Biden hammered home his efforts to reduce gun violence,

even as his own son was convicted of illegally buying a firearm. We don't want our kids to have the freedom to learn how to read and write in schools instead of learn how to duck and cover, for God's sake. Police departments say reducing violence often involves more cops on the street, tougher criminal sentences, addiction help, and jobs. Lester? Tom Costello in Washington. Thank you. Now to Florida, where streets are already flooding. As torrential rain drenches cities like Miami, you can see cars struggling to get through the rising floodwaters. Most of southern Florida is now under a flood watch. Tropical downpours will impact the region through at least tomorrow evening with flash

flooding possible. In just 60 seconds, American teachers stabbed in a park in China. The horrifying aftermath caught on cell phone. The suspect under arrest and what police say led to it. We're back now with a terrifying stabbing attack that injured several Americans while they were on a teaching trip in China. Janice Mackey-Frayer reports from Beijing. Tonight, an arrest in the stabbing attack of four U.S. college instructors in a busy Chinese park. The aftermath captured in a shocking cell phone video. Bystanders saying foreigners are injured. The victims, teachers from Cornell College in Iowa on an

exchange with the university in Jolene. Three of them Americans. One of them is David Zabner, the brother of Iowa State Representative Adam Zabner, who said his brother was stabbed in the arm but is okay and in good spirits. Iowa Congresswoman Marionette Miller-Meeks said two other Americans had to undergo surgery. They're in intensive care, but they're stable and talking with their family members. The fourth teacher, an Indian national living in Iowa. A Chinese national was also stabbed when they tried to intervene.

Police arrested a 55-year-old man they say was angry that one of the teachers bumped into him at the park. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told NBC News it was an isolated incident, adding China is one of the world's safest countries. Violence against foreigners in public is rare here, but comes at a tense time for U.S.-China relations, with both sides trying to revive student and teacher exchanges. That images and videos of the attack were tightly controlled or censored on

Chinese social media underscores the political sensitivity of what happened. As for the wounded, Americans were told once they're out of the hospital, they'll be heading back home to the U.S. Lester. Janice Mackey-Frayer in China. Thank you. We're back in a moment with our NBC News investigation into how drugs like this get smuggled on highways across the country. We are back now with our series Captives of Cannabis and a closer look at smugglers on American highways. Our team spending two nights embedded with an elite local task force on patrol. But as Jacob Soboroff reports, they're cracking down on international criminals. A late night stop along a desolate Tennessee highway.

In the back of the truck, agents discover nearly a million dollars in illegal marijuana they say is tied to Chinese organized crime. An increasingly common sight across our nation's constellations of interstates and highways. This is Interstate 40 in West Tennessee. It goes from California all the way to North Carolina. It's one of the most popular routes for smuggling drugs and money in the United States. We were granted exclusive access to the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, local law enforcement now facing down a global criminal enterprise. Over the course of two nights, we watch as officers surveil, stop, and search vehicles, committing traffic violations they also suspect of transporting illegal contraband,

including this SUV heading east. You can see these two guys right here. They were both in the car, and my understanding is they gave the special agents each different stories, which is reason enough, they say, for them to start searching the car. That's what they're doing right now. After a thorough search, no drugs were found and these drivers are sent on their way. But that's not always the case, as with that late night traffic stop. This is what a million dollars in weed looks like.

It's what a million dollars looks like in Tennessee. Task Force Director John Carter says they're seeing more loads like this and suspects one international crime group to be behind much of it. Chinese characters right here on the outside of this trash bag. Is that a common sight for you these days? It is a common sight, yes. And what does that say to you about where this is coming from and where it might be going to? As soon as we saw the Chinese writing, we suspected right off it was coming from Oklahoma. We've seen firsthand how Chinese groups are operating in several states, including Oklahoma. Now the DEA says it's an expanding phenomenon.

We've identified in 23 states that Chinese organizations have taken over the cultivation of marijuana. The DEA also acknowledged for the first time what NBC News has been reporting since 2022, a notable uptick in the number of illicit marijuana cultivation sites linked to Chinese organized crime, with proceeds used to fund other criminal activities like drugs, money laundering, and human trafficking, like the victims we met at an illegal grow in the Mojave desert. The person or people who brought you here,

did they tell you the truth about what you were coming to do? No, they didn't tell her that. What happens at these grow sites is only the tip of the iceberg. This year, two Chinese nationals were convicted of illegally trafficking 27 tons of marijuana from Oklahoma, and seven others have been federally charged with laundering more than $100 million in drug proceeds for Mexican cartels. Those prosecutions, however, haven't stopped drug, money, or human smuggling here along I-40, where interdictions continue on a regular

basis. Does it concern you that international criminal organizations might be responsible for this type of drug trafficking going through West Tennessee? Sure. Yeah, they're operating here in America. And from our point of view and our point of view only, it's seemingly almost unchecked because we're just getting so much of it. Transnational crime on local roads still speeding ahead. Jacob Soboroff, NBC News, Memphis, Tennessee. That's nightly news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.