Zachary Young is suing CNN for deformation. In his complaint, his attorneys say CNN gave him just hours to respond to its questions before it first aired that story on The Lead with Jake Tapper. They say Young had, in fact, successfully evacuated dozens of people from Afghanistan. After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, many people were desperate to flee the country. As part of an investigation into claims of 'black market' rescue operations, CNN reported that a security consultant was among those offering to evacuate them - for a price. CNN’s story, which aired on Nov. 11, 2021, showed a photo of Zachary Young, head of Florida-based Nemex Enterprises. The caption below warned of 'exorbitant fees' and 'no guarantee of safety or success'. Young's attorneys say he is a logistics and security expert who helped U.S. and European corporations and nongovernmental organizations extract people from Afghanistan during a dangerous time. His lawsuit alleges that CNN unfairly implied on the air and online through a subsequent written story and social media posts that he was profiting from illegal tactics. In his legal complaint, his lawyers write that Young's business has lost millions of dollars in revenues as a result of the hit to his reputation. Four months after the initial broadcast, as Young’s lawyers demanded a retraction, CNN offered a correction saying the network 'did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young participated in a black market'. and concluded by telling viewers: 'We regret the error. And to Mr. Young, we apologize'.