Zachary Young alleged CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021.

CNN chief national security correspondent Alexander Marquardt testified earlier this week that he did not produce a “hit piece” on the Navy veteran. He and others with the net

Zachary Young alleged CNN defamed him in a report by chief security correspondent Alex Marquardt that said he operated in a "black market."

A Florida jury on Friday found TV news provider CNN liable for defaming a U.S. Navy veteran who helped evacuate people from Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrew from the country in 2021. The six-person jury said CNN had to pay damages totaling $5 million.

A Florida jury concluded the network smeared the man’s reputation, awarding $5 million for losses and suffering and weighing additional punitive damages.

CNN has been ordered to pay $5 million for defaming a security contractor in a 2021 story about desperate Afghan refugees seeking to flee their country. The contractor, Zachary Young, sued in 2022, alleging that his livelihood was destroyed after the network accused him of operating in a “black market.