CNN Ordered to Pay Navy Veteran Whose Face It Showed in a Video of 'Black Market' Smuggling of Afghans in Rare Defamation Conviction

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young was awarded $5 million in a defamation lawsuit against CNN on Jan. 17. (Credit: Law & Crime Network via YouTube)

In a rare defamation ruling against a major media outlet, a Florida jury on Friday ordered CNN to pay $5 million in compensatory damages to U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young.

The verdict stems from a 2021 report that linked Young to a so-called "black market" operation smuggling Afghans out of the country following the Taliban takeover.