Episode 5164: Cartel Violence Continues In Mexico; Fight In Virginia Heading To The Midterms

Summary

---

Bannon’s War Room – Episode 5164

Date: February 24, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode dives into two critical, unfolding crises with major geopolitical and domestic implications:

1. The aftermath of Mexico’s most notorious cartel leader, “El Mencho,” being killed in a joint U.S.-Mexican special forces operation, unleashing chaos and escalating violence across Mexico—especially in tourist regions.
2. The heated Virginia redistricting fight heading into the midterms, with grassroots conservatives challenging an aggressive Democratic “power grab.”
   Throughout, host Stephen K. Bannon and his guests analyze the impact of these flashpoints on U.S. security, the 2026 midterms, and the broader conservative-populist movement.

---

1. Cartel Violence Explodes After El Mencho Killing

Key Segment: [00:00–14:21, 22:07–34:58]

Main Discussion Points:

• Killing of El Mencho:

  • Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed in a Mexican military operation, with U.S. intelligence support.
  • The operation is described as a major escalation in U.S.-Mexican joint security efforts.

    "An official of the Department of Defense has said there was a collaboration by special forces of the United States of America with the federal government of Mexico... But the ones that led the operation was the federal government of Mexico."
    — Oscar Blue Ramirez [00:40]

• Cartel Retaliation and Unrest:

  • In response, CJNG members ignited rampant violence: burning vehicles, businesses, and even aircraft at resort airports like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

  • U.S. State Department urges Americans to shelter in place; airlines cancel flights.

    "They just burned another vehicle... to send a message to the government and also to the population that they're still in control of several communities."
    — Oscar Blue Ramirez [00:40]

• National Security Implications:

  • Guest Oscar Blue Ramirez, reporting from near the border, paints this as a direct threat to both Mexico and the U.S.:

    "This is a national security issue. The cartel, it is relentless and it is operating and it is sending a message... They are going."
    — Oscar Blue Ramirez [00:40]

• Concerns for Tourists:

  • Massive numbers of American and Canadian tourists are left stranded or in limbo in resort areas now surrounded by violence.

    "The majority of the tourists right now... the government on a federal level... have said, safeguard yourself. If you don't have nothing else to do outside, don't go outside."
    — Oscar Blue Ramirez [24:21]

  • Resort industry’s deep ties to cartels highlighted as a risk for foreigners.

    “Who do you think runs that industry? It's a cartel... they own a lot of the beautiful resorts out there.”
    — Nino Boxer [31:51]

• Risk of Further Escalation:

  • Guests agree this may only be the beginning—warning of guerrilla warfare, civilian endangerment, and political attempts to undermine Trump’s administration if things go badly.

    “Cartel warfare is real... all they're going to do is try to muddy up Trump's face... They're going to make it as ugly as possible with guerrilla warfare.”
    — Nino Boxer [27:26]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Shift in Strategy:

  “The war that we definitely should be fighting, the one in Mexico. President Trump had warned long enough... So yesterday there was interdiction."
  — Stephen K. Bannon [08:11]

• On the Cartel’s Hold and Public Outcry:

  “These people want these cartels to be eradicated, to be eliminated... that is the number one thing that the Mexican people are going to start pushing for this time.”
  — Oscar Blue Ramirez [30:04]

• On Inflection Point:

  “We have just declared war on Mexico. And the reason I say that is because the cartels control Mexico. So it's war. This is war.”
  — Nino Boxer [34:06]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 04:00: News update on El Mencho’s killing and aftermath.
• 13:13 – 14:21: First-hand report on escalating violence and U.S.-Mexico collaboration.
• 22:07 – 25:42: News audio montage and updates on nationwide unrest, school/business shutdowns.
• 31:51 – 34:58: Analysis on cartel influence in resorts, risks to hostages, and discussion of further U.S. operations.

---

2. U.S. Political Fallout and Foreign Policy Tensions

Key Segment: [03:22–07:45, 19:51–21:45, 34:58–39:33]

Main Discussion Points:

• Trump Administration’s Approach:

  • The administration sees the takedown of El Mencho as both a success and a necessity—reinforcing Trump’s campaign pledges to take on Mexican cartels as terror threats.

  • Principle of relying on “kinetic operations,” but ensuring Mexican authorities take the visible lead.

    “It’s got to look like it’s coming from Mexico, like they’re handling their own problems... we are in uncharted waters.”
    — Nino Boxer [34:06]

• Iran Crisis:

  • Heightened tensions with Iran over nuclear issues; mixed signals over the possibility of military action versus seeking a diplomatic deal.

  • Disagreement within the administration about scope and method of intervention.

    “Trump could have struck the Iranians... he did not. There has been a delay for a reason... I think there are people in the administration that are invested in a diplomatic offroute here.”
    — Curt Mills [19:51]

  • Trump issues a direct statement clarifying General Kaine’s stance on Iran:

    “General Kaine, like all of us, would like not to see war, but if a decision is made... it is his opinion that it be something easily won... He only knows one thing, how to win.”
    — (Statement read by Stephen K. Bannon, quoting President Trump) [35:49]

---

3. Spotlight: Virginia’s Redistricting Battle and the Grassroots Fight

Key Segment: [39:33–43:16]

Main Discussion Points:

• Democratic “Power Grab” in Virginia:

  • Major push by VA Democrats, led by Spanberger, to change the congressional map from a 6 Dem-5 Rep split to a 10-1 Dem advantage.

  • Framed by Dems as a “fairness” issue; conservatives see it as flagrant gerrymandering.

    “She wants to switch it and just signed the bill to switch the maps. 10 to 1... and the polling that was released today showed that Virginians are starting to get the message... side saying no leading by about 8 points.”
    — Jeffrey Ryer [39:33]

• David vs. Goliath:

  • GOP activists are fighting back with grassroots organizing, despite being vastly outspent (Democrats spent $2.5M in media during the Olympics).

    “We didn’t have that. What we did have was...a lot of activists that we’ve been engaging very aggressively... We really are dealing strictly with grassroots versus big money.”
    — Jeffrey Ryer [41:50]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 39:33 – 43:16: Deep dive on Virginia redistricting, polling, and mobilization.

---

4. Maintaining the Conservative Populist Coalition: “Make America Healthy Again”

Key Segment: [43:16–50:44]

Main Discussion Points:

• Coalition Tensions:

  • Bannon and guest Tony Lyons discuss holding together Trump’s populist “MAGA” movement and the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) faction (aligned with ex-RFK Jr. backers), especially as some advisers push moderation ahead of the midterms.

    “What they miss is that the movement is based on disagreement... People want toxins out of food, they want toxins out of pesticides... These are people who want common sense and they are looking to a government, to a president who’s going to bring back common sense.”
    — Tony Lyons [46:53]

• Policy Wins Highlighted:

  • Removing processed food from SNAP, reforming the food pyramid, promoting biopesticides, and furthering common-sense vaccine policies.

  • Emphasis on mobilizing health-focused voters as key to midterm success.

    “We are here to end the chronic disease epidemic in this country that 76% of the public suffer from... and this team is going to stick together and it's going to change the outcome of the midterms.”
    — Tony Lyons [46:53]

---

5. Guest “Plugs” and Closing Section

Timestamps: [31:06, 35:10, 50:06]

• Guests provide social media, websites:
  • Oscar Blue Ramirez: @OscarRamirezTJ on X; Real America’s Voice News.
  • Nino Boxer: @NinoBoxer (X); Nino’s Corner TV/YouTube.
  • Curt Mills: @CurtMills (X); The American Conservative magazine.
  • Jeffrey Ryer: virginia.gop/stop-gerrymandering
  • Tony Lyons: mahaaction.com

---

6. Notable Quotes & Sound Bites

• “These are the times that try men’s souls. But this is also the time for our citizenry to shine. This is the primal scream of a dying regime… If that answer is to save my country, this country will be saved.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon [08:11]

• On Tourists in Mexican Resorts:
  “Huge targets. Who runs that industry? It's a cartel... they're going to keep these people held hostage for as long as it takes.”
  — Nino Boxer [31:51]

• On El Mencho’s Death:
  “His detention and death is one of the most significant blows to organized crime in recent years...”
  — News Reporter [23:04]

• On MAHA/MAGA Unity:
  “People challenge the status quo. That's what we’re good at... But in the end, we support this president and Bobby Kennedy... This team is going to stick together.”
  — Tony Lyons [46:53]

---

7. Quick Reference & Timeline

• 00:00-04:00: Cartel Violence in Mexico – El Mencho’s killing, immediate aftermath.
• 13:13-14:21: Domestic response; escalation in border areas.
• 22:07-25:42: News overview; crisis management in tourist/resort regions.
• 31:51-34:58: Discussion on the risks for tourists, cartel ownership of resorts.
• 39:33-43:16: Virginia redistricting fight and poll analysis.
• 46:53-50:44: “Make America Healthy Again” strategies and policy directions.

---

8. Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Urgency and Combativeness: Reflecting the “war room” ethos, Bannon’s tone is urgent, combative, and anti-establishment. Guests echo this, repeatedly emphasizing crisis, conflict, and the need for grassroots mobilization and “kinetic” (military) solutions.
• Populist-Right Focus: The narrative is framed through “America First” priorities—sovereignty, safety, and mobilization against both cartel threats and political adversaries at home.
• Policy vs. Optics: There’s nuanced discussion about ensuring U.S. joint ops in Mexico remain led by Mexican authorities for optics and strategic reasons.
• Mobilization Call: Listeners are repeatedly encouraged to get involved: stay alert, help grassroots causes, and be ready for continued escalation both abroad (cartel war, Iran) and at home (midterms, “MAGA/MAHA” movement).

---

For further details, references, and guest information, visit:

• warroom.org
• mahaaction.com
• virginia.gop/stop-gerrymandering

---

Transcript

[Stephen K. Bannon]

We got new video this morning showing the violence and destruction across parts of Mexico following the death of that country's most wanted drug cartel Posse Azaguara Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, the head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation cartel was killed in a special operation carried out by Mexican army special forces. The White House says the US provided intelligence support for it. The killing sparked widespread unrest. Suspected gang members torched cars and businesses. The U.S. state Department urged U.S. nationals to shelter in place. There's been some panic at airports if tourists have been stranded there because some of the airlines have canceled flights in and out of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

Oscar Blue for real America's Voice News. Another burned vehicle by the organized crime in the cartel as a sign by the eradication and the execution of Nemesio Oseguera Diaz, better known as El Mencho, leader of the CJNG cartel. In the middle of the highway. These cartel criminals, they just burned another vehicle of pick a truck to send a message to the government and also to the population that they're still in control of several communities. Just now, breaking news as CBS has revealed that an official of the Department of Defense has said that there was a collaboration by special forces of the United States of America with the federal government of Mexico to execute the Messio Oceguera Diaz, better known as El Mencho. But the ones that they led the operation was the federal government of Mexico to have a perfect execution of this leader of the cartel, Jalisco Nueva Generacion. Behind me, Lucilla, another burn vehicle just steps away from the border wall. This is a national security issue. The cartel, it is relentless and it is operating and it is sending a message not only to the Mexican people and to the Mexican government, but also to the United States of America that are next door right here to the border wall and sending a message that they are going.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

At 1:30 this morning, the security detail detected that a individual had made his way into the inner perimeter. Mar A Lago. A deputy and two Secret Service agents on the detail went to that area to investigate. They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service had fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene. I'll give you a picture of the shotgun and the gas can to have with you. So that's what we know now. Investigation continues. The FBI is the lead investigation agency on this case and we will be assisting them in whatever manner they would like. And they will be responsible for answering any other questions at an appropriate time. So everybody is being told to leave the area right now here on the beach. New York Times is reporting this morning, as are many others at the present. Is juggling all options right now. Might continue with the negotiations, might try a limited strike, pull back, and if that doesn't work, could go all the way in. I'm curious, what are you hearing? What are your latest sources telling you?

[Joe (possibly Joe Biden or a correspondent named Joe)]

So, Joe, I'm hearing that the President is engaged in what you might call coercive diplomacy. Steve Witkoff is one of his envoys to Iran said yesterday that he was frustrated, Trump was frustrated that Iran had not yet capitulated to this enormous show of force. Huge buildup of air and naval assets in the region preparing for some kind of strike. Trump has said he wants this resolved within 10 to 15 days. So that clock is ticking. There is a meeting scheduled Thursday in Geneva where the Iranians will show up with a new proposal. It's hard to see now how that will be sufficient to close the gap fully between the US And Iran. And so there's a possibility that, as the White House has been saying, the President will take limited action, coercive action, to try to push Iran to make further concessions. That often doesn't work very well. And so we're on the lip of what might be a much longer open ended military action by the United States to coerce Iran into fundamental changes, maybe to regime change. That worries a lot of people, I just would note. Finally, New York Times had some outstanding reporting yesterday, taking us into a meeting in the Situation Room last Wednesday where the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, the chairman, Joint Chief Stan Kaine, were asked by the President to give assurances, in effect that this would be a successful, big, big mission against Iran. And according to the New York Times, neither of them could offer that kind of endorsement. So I think that's a clear sign that this is, this is still a policy debate that's ongoing and difficult.

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

It.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Was, I was down it. A simple banner, no kings. 10 million people are expected to take to America's streets in one of the largest coordinated demonstrations in, in recent memory. The last two gatherings were peaceful. There were no arrests. This is assembly. This is the exercise of a constitutional right. This nation rejected a monarch once before. It does not recognize one now. These are the times that try men's souls. But this is also the time for our citizenry to shine. This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people. Christians, I got a free shot. All these networks lying about the people. The people have had a belly full of it. I know you don't like hearing that. I know you try to do everything in the world to stop that, but you're not going to stop it. It's going to happen. And where do people like that go to share the big lie? MAGA MEDIA I wish in my soul, I wish that any of these people, people had a conscience. Ask yourself, what is my task and what is my purpose? If that answer is to save my country, this country will be saved. War Room here's your host, Stephen K. Banner. It's Monday, the 23rd of February in the year of Lord 2026. As fate would have it, we're about to go the East Room of the White House because it is Angel Mom's Appreciation Day, where they're going to for the Angel Moms and the angel families. President Trump's gonna sign a proclamation and give some appropriate remarks. We're gonna go there live. Our own Ben Berkhwam is actually there as a guest because Ben's done such a magnificent job over the last, I don't know, six, seven years of making sure that the Angel Moms had a platform. Of course, from Breitbart to the war room, we've been a major platform for the Angel Moms. Also a huge day for them. President's going to talk. And the irony is that there was a joint, at least U.S. intelligence, U.S. special forces and Mexican military attack yesterday that Oscar Blue Ramirez was just incredible by coming on and giving live reports yesterday. We're packed. We got from Erik Prince to Sam Faddis to Oscar Blue Ramirez, Art Del Cueto from the Border Patrol Union, and of course, Nino David Rodriguez. Many the experts going to talk about the war that we definitely have to fight and should be fighting. Sounds like we kicked it off already. And that is the war against the cartels in Mexico. President Trump had warned long enough if he did not see action, there would be interdiction. So yesterday there was interdiction. And it looks like it was a joint operation or as the media said, it was led. I put up there the buried lead. It was led by the Mexican military, as it should be at this time. We believe that this may lead to a bigger campaign. There's obviously chaos, particularly in Puerto Vallarta and Other these resort towns as American citizens try to figure out how they're going to get out of the country. Since air traffic has been has been halted. One of the reasons they burned aircraft on the tarmac yesterday, it just wasn't cars and buses, which is always a symbol of the cartels that they're going to block. Let me go quickly to Oscar. We are going to cut to the president as soon as the president walks into the East Room. We're going to skip commercial breaks to do that. But let's go. Oscar Blue Ramirez, got about a minute. What is going on in Mexico, sir?

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

Well, the violence has started escalating after the assassination and execution of this was a mission that apparently from the government statements, it was a cooperation between the intelligence of the United States of America and the ones that led the operation for the execution was the federal government of Mexico. This tells you of the bilateral relationship that right now President Trump has executed perfectly with the Mexican government so they can execute these kinds of missions. After that, violence escalated and got it completely out of hand. The part of Puerto Vallarta, part of Jalisco and part of Mexican where the cartel Jalisco, new generation had massive control. This escalated into the borders as yesterday in Tijuana, the city that we are located, more than 22 incidents. Why they call incidents? Because they were burning businesses, they were burning automobiles as these narco blockades to send a message to the government that they still have control of these communities and that ultimately that they are going to unstabilize and they are going to send a message to the population that they are going to try to terrorize the population to let them know that they have control of this. Now get this to know. Under the Biden administration, the cartel.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Oscar, Oscar, hang on for one second. I want to hold on. We're going to take a short commercial break. We'll cut out the commercial break if the president takes the stage in the East Room on a fantastic day of a proclamation to support the Angel Moms and the angel families. The irony of this, the people that have tormented them are now we're taking a torch to the enemy. The war that we definitely should be fighting, the one in Mexico. Take your phone out, text Ban and Ba n Owen at 989-898. Get the ultimate guide totally free. No obligation from Birch Gold to how to invest in gold and precious metals in the age of Trump. Gold's on fire once again. Short break. Back in a moment. Do doctors have Black Friday sales? The doctors at Brick House Nutrition, do they just announced the Black Friday 30% off sale, the biggest sale of the year. The most impressive health and nutrition products in the industry are now 30% off. Like Lean the doctor formulated weight loss supplement for people who want to lose meaningful weight without injections. Let me repeat that. Lean the Doctor formulated weight loss supplement for people who want to lose meaningful weight without injections and 30% off creatine creatine designed just for women to help you look leaner in shape and tone without extra dieting or exercise. Even 30% off field of Greens, the only super fruit and vegetable drink shown in a university study to actually slow aging and only field of greens promises better health results. Your doctor will notice every Brickhouse product, from better sleep to Superior collagen is 30% off. But hurry because these Black Friday deals go fast. Visit BrickHouseSale.com that's all one word. BrickHouseSale.com and save 30%. That's BrickHouseSale.com one more time. BrickHouseSale.com here's your host, Stephen K. Ban Gold's almost 5,300 bucks announced. It's not the price of gold, it's the process that got there. Those have been on the journey. Started about $1,1100 with us and we had a theory of the case. One just go and buy gold. I'm not a gold bug, have never been, but I know something about the US Dollar being the prime reserve currency. And I saw what Biden was going to do because remember he stole the 2020 election. Hello. That's where we're in Georgia, that's where in Maricopa County. And we're going to get to the bottom of all of it because all of the current issues we have, the country started with the stealing of the election from Trump. Birch Gold go there into the dollar empire. It's now in a print edition, the Patriots edition, 27 February. Up till that day, if you make a qualifying purchase of physical gold with Birch Gold, talk to Philip Petra team. You get a free edition of this and they've already run out. They've done another printing. So you're going to get yours. But let's say this, there's been quite a demand, as there should be because we covered the populism of the 19th century. We cover the fiat currencies, we cover the American system. You ever heard of that? Scott Bessant talked about that the other day. Yes, President Trump is a protectionist. Not about terrorists, not a trade. Let's say what it is, the P word. He's a protectionist as Hamilton was, as Henry Clay was, as Abraham Lincoln was, as McKinley was, they built a manufacturing superpower from the industrial revolution that was started by our mother country, the Brits. Birchgold.com, promo code bandit. Enter the Dollar Empire qualifying purchase. You can get all of it free online, but you get a hardback edition, the Patriots edition, up to 27 February. Make sure you take care of it. Kurt Mills. This is an incredibly fluid situation. A lot of people trying to put Trump pressure on Trump, but this is defining for your term, your administration. Some of the people that are the most rabid, and I would say rabid about this attack, should study what's going on in Mexico. Mexico is a war that we have to win. That's a failed narco state on our border. It's got to be taken care of. I got two, I got Oscar and David Rodriguez. Nino, going to join us here in a moment. The fluid situation. I just happen to think that when you hear, given the fact of how President Trump, how highly he places his military advisors in the uniform military in this entire situation, and particularly since we've had two expeditionary efforts in both June and then later with Venezuela that turned out, let's be blunt, magnificently, that in General Kane's time of taking down ISIS in less time than he said, those three things put General Kaine at a very special level with President Trump. This article today saying not only it kind of implied, not only is he not for the attack, now he's kind of against the attack. Unless certain things clear out of the way in that regard, do you think the Persians are going to not become the stumbling block in getting to a diplomatic solution? This is my problem. They're so bureaucratic. The way they negotiate is mine. And Trump is just not. That's just not Trump. He's going to want to set a framework and get a deal or not get a deal, he's going to say no games. Okay, we'll just move on. Your thoughts?

[Curt Mills]

Look, I think that there is reason for hope. The fact is that Trump could have struck the Iranians in mid January. He did not. Trump could have struck the Iranians two weekends ago. He did not. There has been a delay for a reason. So Contra, the abduction of Maduro, Contra, the 12 Day War. It wasn't a sudden military maneuver. If it happens now, everybody will know. It'll be highly telegraphed, which is another reason not to do it, in theory. Right? I mean, the enemy knows it's coming, so to speak. I think there are people in the administration that are invested in a diplomatic offroute here. I don't fully know their politics, but people like Witkoff and Kushner I think have been pragmatic additions to this team. And I think although the Iranians have constraints, the Supreme Leader is a hardcore guy. He's very distrustful of the United States. There are able operators within their system to come to a deal, and a deal that I think is going to be considerably better than Obama's jcpoa. And as I've indicated on this show before, if Trump gets it done, this is the thing that can get him a Nobel Peace Prize. I mean, the Russia, Ukraine deal, any deal there is going to be highly unpopular with liberals and with, with Europe. But if he gets this done, if he flouts, if, if he ignores Benjamin Netanyahu and he ignores the Israel lobby and he gets this deal, it's Nixon goes to China.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

It's that level. I agree. Kurt, where do people follow you on social media? You are putting up amazing content all the time.

[Curt Mills]

Yeah, you can find me at Curt Mills at Curt M I L L S on X and the magazine. I am the executive director of the American Conservative magazine founded in 2002 by conservatives, including Patrick J. Buchanan, against the Iraq war. And we are doing reporting, analysis and spirited polemics against the potential new Iran war.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Spirited it is, sir. Thank you so much. Appreciate you, appreciate the whole group over there. Let's. By the way, if Grace and Mo and Elizabeth can make sure we get the Axios story up and out. Everybody read. It's totally free. Be very enlightening. We have a cold open. I have Oscar Ramirez and David Rodriguez. Let's go and play this.

[News Reporter]

Fire. Smoke and chaos across several Mexican states. Cities brought to a standstill as criminal groups retaliate after Mexico's most wanted drug leader died following a military operation Sunday blocked highways. Drivers forced out of their cars at gunpoint, trucks and buses set on fire. Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a former police officer known to most as El Mencho, was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, wounded during a Mexican military operation and later died while being transported to Mexico City. The U.S. played a role in Sunday's operation, according to U.S. defense officials, though it's unclear to what extent. As fear spread, many Mexicans spoke out, calling for an end to the violence.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

People are aware of this violence and what they want is peace, to live in harmony and justice, not in war.

[News Reporter]

Blockades were reported across various states and classes were suspended in at least three states. As officials tried to contain the violence and keep safety civilians off the streets. I'm tired of seeing this continue every single day. Under El Mench's command, the cartel expanded rapidly, challenging rivals like the Sinaloa cartel for control of territory and trafficking routes. According to U.S. and Mexican officials, El Mencho managed to avoid capture for years. His detention and debt is one of the most significant blows to organized crime in recent years and the first high profile, profile operation under President Claudia Shaiman. The fall of El Minto may mark a major security milestone. But with tourism, foreign investment and security for the 2026 World cup at stake, the world is watching how Mexico handles what comes next.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

So Oscar Blue Ramirez, how does Mexico handle what comes next is this whole controversy of the big resorts in prison, some of the nicest resorts in, in North America, where thousands, tens of thousands of Americans and Canadians go, are those people hostage right now? What's happening?

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

Well, the majority of the tourists right now, they're wondering what they are going to do. And the statements of the government on a federal level, they have said, safeguard yourself. That's also Mexican. Safeguard yourself. If you don't have nothing else to do outside, don't go outside. Also, every educational level has been suspended from elementary all the way to colleges. Business. Businesses are being told to close early at 6 o' clock in the morning. It looks like the Culiacanazo when in the war between Los Chapos and Los Mayo it started and it was like a curfew, people were going back home immediately to go back home. And this basically it tells you the level of aggression that it can escalate in a few seconds, you know, and just talking about the World cup, it is coming up in June and exactly on that particular place in Kalisco where the CJNG had a lot of control, just a kilometer away from Akron Stadium. Steve, they're the collector groups that they have been searching for the bodies of missing people that the CJNG killed. These people they have been found on mass graves. More than 500 human remain bags they have found close to there. So it tells you the level of, you know, the aggression and the level of the disaster of this cartel that it was created here. And now the people are want to go in protest on this World cup to see if they can stop it because of the level of insecurity in Jalisco.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Listen, with all the, the kinetic activity yesterday, this afternoon has been pretty calm. Is that because the military, the federales have flooded the zone? I mean, why this calm is. Is the cartel so far back on their heels, they're not ready to strike back.

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

Oh, just breaking news right now, Steve. We were talking and I just. They sent me a video, another burned car on the international road. And I will give you that video later on. They're being, they're sending the video to me right now. They just burned an automobile in the international road that connects from the west side to the east side of Tijuana. This is just steps from the border wall. It is in the main role next to the border wall. The cartel is being bold right now. So the acceleration of the violence, we don't know how they are going to react. This is why I have recommended for people that they're coming to Mexico to try to just give it this week to see how the federal government, it is going to manage this, see how the reaction of the cartel, if it's going to be passive aggressive, aggressive or aggressive, radical, as we have seen since yesterday, was radical. The aggression was, you know, it was consistent the whole day. Burning of automobiles. They just burned one, they're saying like 45 minutes to an hour ago right there in the International Avenue that connects from the west to the east side, just steps away from the border wall. So it tells you that this level of violence that is going to continue until the federal government, you know, puts a stop to it and goes to, from community to community to secure these communities.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

David Rodriguez, he's up. David, I got about 50 seconds. I got to go to break. But you have advocated strong for months. Canadians, Americans, do not go to Mexico. Why was that?

[Nino Boxer]

Because I knew it was any moment. This was going to pop off at any, any moment. And I just thought, hey, travel advisory, don't go there. It's about to get bad. Cartel warfare is real. I've lived through it with Ciudad Juarez. I know what they do. And they put innocent civilians at risk. They don't care. All they're going to do is try to muddy up Trump's face and make, and make his operation look like a fault, like it, like a, like, like he fumbled a ball. That's all they're going to do in this. And they're going to make it as ugly as possible with guerrilla warfare. And I think that's what's coming, because this is about survival for them. You're taking away the biggest commodity, drugs, human trafficking, everything. So this is the end of their lives. I mean, this is their, this is everything about survival for them.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

David, hang on for one second. Oscar Blue Ramirez. David Rodriguez, stick with us. After a short commercial Break. The world is getting more unstable and chaotic every day. It seems like everyone, everywhere you look there's another crisis, another controversy, another conflict or just outright catastrophe. You can't control what happens out there, but you can control how you prepare for it. You can make sure that no matter what happens, you have the basics covered in case one of these disasters reaches your doorstep. You know, things like having enough food to eat when the shelves are empty. And when it comes to my family's food security, I trust my Patriot supply. They've helped millions of Americans get prepared and they have over 90,000 five star reviews right now. You can get their best selling 3 month emergency food supply kit for 100 bucks off. My Patriot supply almost never offers a deal like this to take advantage of it. Go to preparewithbannon.com that's all one word. Preparewithbannon.com this food kit gives you 2,000 calories a day, last up to 25 years. And best of all, it's 100 off for a limited time. Go to preparewithBannon.com and get yours right now. That's preparewithBannon.com make sure you know all one word. PreparewithBannon.com Special deal, 100 bucks off. Do it today.

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

War room.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Here's your host, Stephen K. Bannon. Oscar, I know you got a bounce. You want to go get some footage of this terrorism they're doing up by the border real quickly. If Rodriguez is right and they know that this is the end game for him, how tough is this going to be and where do you think it's going to spread?

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

Well, it's the federal government right now has an enormous responsibility. And now the Mexican people that they have seen that they are capable of executing and eliminating the leader of the cartel, they're going to demand more. Steve. So this is all the Trump administration, this is, you can put all this, all this triumph to the, to the Trump administration because they're the ones that they have been pressuring the Mexican government to expose this and to basically go after them. So the Mexican people are going to want, they're going to just be pushing the Mexican government to do better, to safeguard the communities, to go after the cartels and to actually go one on one with them. Mexican president has been saying we don't want to go to war with the cartels. We don't see that that is the solution. Guess what you're doing right now, you're actually going one on one with them. So you're actually doing that. And that's what the Mexican people want. They want these people to go away. They want these cartels to be eradicated, to be eliminated. And that is the number one thing that the Mexican people are going to start pushing for this time.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Okay, where do people. Where do we get you? 24. 7 social media.

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

Oscar Ramirez, TJ on X, sir. Oscar Blue Ramirez all around. Real America's Boyce News, sir, and Rab and Espanol. Be sure to follow that page, sir, at RAV in Spanish.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Perfect. Great reporting, sir. Go, go, go. Get the latest footage. David Rodriguez. Nino, you say muddy the face that these cartels realize. This is really them versus Trump. The elephant in the room is these big resorts in Puerto Vallarta with thousands of Canadian and American tourists in them, no air travel out. They're kind of almost like hostages of the hotels. What happens there? And how big a target is that for the cartels?

[Nino Boxer]

Huge targets. The thing that confuses me about this is who do you think runs that industry? It's a cartel. So it's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Holly, what do you mean? What do you, what do you mean? The industry you're talking about, the leisure and travel industry, is basically financing.

[Nino Boxer]

They own a lot of the beautiful resorts out there. Everyone knows that. I mean, you know, the resorts, the, the be. I mean, even in, in Ciudad Juarez, all the beautiful clubs, I mean, that would put some of Vegas clubs to shame, are obviously owned by cartels, right? So, you know, it's not just drug dealing and violence that they, they deal with. They. They own a lot of beautiful resorts and places. But, but this, to me, seems like they're going to keep these people held hostage for as long as it takes until they get some kind of deal or something gets done or Trump makes a move and eliminates him. This is. We are now in what I like to call a Mexican standoff. You know, this is it. It's high noon outside the saloon, and we're gonna see how this plays out. And they're bulldozing roads, they're lighting cars on fire to show, hey, we're not gonna give up, we're not backing down. This is war.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

And if you were, if you had, if you had five minutes with the president in the Oval Office, he said, nino, you're from El Paso. You know this better than anybody. What's your recommendation, dude?

[Nino Boxer]

It's got to be surgical. It's got to be operations like they did with Maduro and Mencho, and it's got to be surgical. They cannot put innocent lives at risk. And that's what the cartels are going to do because it'll make Trump look bad, it'll make him look terrible. I think of the protests that we'll have here on American soil if they start taking innocent tourists.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

And, and, and, but you do, but, but you do. You are recommending kinetic activity like you saw yesterday. You're not saying go back to law enforcement because Sam Fadis and Prince made it very clear yesterday was a game changer and that was going kinetic. That's not some law enforcement. Let's go down and arrest him with their information is let's go down and take him out and take out his high command. So are you a proponent of continued, even if highly targeted kinetic activity, paramilitary activity by the United States in conjunction with the Mexican military?

[Nino Boxer]

It's got to look like it's coming from Mexico, like they're handling their own problems. It's got to look like it's coming from the Mexican military because now we've reached, we are in uncharted waters. We've gone, we've gone too far. We're at a point of no return. It's on, it's on. It's like the street fight has started. You get it back down now. I mean, it's, we're in it. This is it. So this is uncharted waters. If I had, you know, as much as I would say, yeah, do this surgically, yeah, you got to do the operation surgically the best you can. But we are in a point of no return. We have just declared war on Mexico. And the reason I say that is because the cartels control Mexico. So it's war. This is war. Now, how this goes from here is going to be very, very interesting. But the way I see it, this is the point of no return and Trump has committed. And so here we go. Let's see. It's like, you know, it's round one of a 15 round fight.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Well, you know, about 15 round fights. Used to be a great fighter down there. And now you've got one of the biggest podcasts in the state of Texas in the country. Where do people go to get the podcast? Where do they go? Get your social media.

[Nino Boxer]

X is Nino Boxer. Nino Boxer. And then Nino's Corner TV or Nino's Corner on YouTube.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Thank you, Nina. What was so impressive? Is that you for. Because I watch your show. You have for months been warning about what happened yesterday. You were telling people, hey, if you're Canadian or American, maybe it's time, time to reschedule your vacation, but don't go because it's very dangerous. And you turned out to be correct, sir.

[Nino Boxer]

It blows my mind that some people are still down there and they. They're like, oh, well, no big deal. Let's just sip on the pina colada. It's crazy to me. It's cognitive dissonance. It's just.

[Oscar Blue Ramirez]

It's wild.

[Nino Boxer]

It's wild.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Nino, thank you so much.

[Nino Boxer]

You got it.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

One of the best and one of the smartest. President Trump has got a response. For those of you looking at this Axios article, President Trump not saying he's watching the show today, but he's got a response on Axios. I want to read it in its entirety. Numerous stories from the fake news media have been circulating stating that General Daniel Kane, sometimes referred as Raisin, is against us going to war with Iran. The story does not attribute the vast wealth of knowledge to anyone and is 100% incorrect. General Kaine, like all of us, would like not to see war, but if a decision is made on going against Iran at a military level, it is his opinion that it be something easily won. He knows Iran well and that he was in charge of Midnight Hammer, the attack on the Iranian nuclear development. It's a development no longer, but rather was blown to smithereens by our great B2 bombers. Raisin Cain is a great fighter and represents the most powerful military anywhere in the world. He has not spoken of not doing Iran or even the fake limited strikes that I have been reading about. He only knows one thing, how to win. And if he is told to do so, he will be leading the pack. Everything that has been written about a potential war with Iran has been written inaccurately and purposefully. So I am the one that makes the decision. I would rather have a deal, but not then, not. But if we don't make a deal, it'll be a very bad day for that country and very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful and something like this should never have happened to them. President Donald J. Trump. So there you have President Trump's response to the Axio story. And like I said, we've reiterated many times, President Trump's trying to get a diplomatic solution. He's trying to. He said over and over again, I'd rather have a deal. Just sit there twice, two or three times. However, and I keep saying this, if the ayatollah and the mullahs want to play games and have people in separate rooms and they've got some symbolic thing, I just think President Trump, his patience will wear thin on that. He's made enough deals in his life to know you got to be in a room and make a deal. And I think he'll, I don't even see Thursday taking place with that structure. I think the Persians have got to get serious. If they want to make a deal, make a deal. If you don't want to make a deal, then stand by because President Trump will look at other alternatives. He's collected, he's organized a vast armada and air bridge that is something like I've never seen before because the lethality today of our weapons system is so much greater than during the Gulf War. And so there you are, Jeff Reyer, we do have some startling good news, by the way. President Trump has announced, or I think unofficially announced he is coming to Texas on Friday. I believe potentially Corpus Christi, but the president is coming here Friday on the Friday before of early voting ends and the weekend early voting ends. And of course the election or the primary is next Tuesday. So President Trump is coming to Texas, going in the hustings. Jeff Reyer, this controversy, in fact, Spanberger is giving the response to the State of the Union tomorrow night solely because of one thing. Not just you won the governor of Virginia by 15 points or however many, but that she has put forward a proposal to change the Commonwealth From a 65 Democratic lean state of the 11 seats in the House to a 10 to 1, an audacious grab for power. And all the mainstream media has been talking about is how great she is, how wonderful she is, she's aggressive, how she's joining the upper ranks of these aggressive anti Trump Democrat politicians. But lo and behold, a poll came out that said the folks in the Commonwealth have big concerns about this. Walk us through it, Jeff.

[Jeffrey Ryer]

Yeah, and the poll is confirming what we're starting to hear on the ground as well, which is as people learn more about the Democrats scheme to switch Virginia from a state that's relatively evenly balanced. There are currently six congressional districts that side with the Democrats and five that side with the Republicans, which is commensurate with our performance in the 2024 elections. She wants to switch it and just signed the bill to switch the maps. 210 One that would go into effect after the after a referendum on a constitutional, a temporary constitutional amendment. It would be held on April 21. And the polling that was released today showed that Virginians are starting to get the message. And it shows the side saying no leading by about eight points. This is the second public poll on this issue that's been released. The first one was released a couple weeks back, really, before a lot of information started getting out. And also using the Democrats framing of the issue, they're framing it as a matter of fairness, taking it from 6, 5 Democrat to Republican to 10, 1 Democrat to Republican. And now that the message is getting out on our side, we're starting to see.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

But hang on, hang on, full stop. All the media, in particular the Washington Post, all the liberal media in Northern Virginia, all the liberal media in the Richmond Times Dispatch, all of it has been louding here. Oh, this is fair. 10 to 1 is ridiculous. Right? It's a power grab. But they've also spent a couple of million bucks. The Democrats got big coffers for this. You've had paid advertisement. You guys don't have anything to date. Basically, we say the word getting out. That's, you know, some shows and you going on and doing social media. But they've had an avalanche of media in their favor about how great this is. You guys have had nothing and you lead by eight points. That's what's so stunning about this poll. You've had the whole world against you and tons of cash. You guys have. You're David versus Goliath here, and she's quick marching this thing to the 21st of April. But people in Virginia are saying, I don't know if this makes sense. We go from 6, 5 to 10 to 1.

[Tony Lyons]

That.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

That doesn't make any sense, sir.

[Nino Boxer]

We have what we have on our

[Jeffrey Ryer]

side more than anything else is right. And although you're right, we didn't have the two and a half million dollars that the Democrats spent on advertising just during the Olympics over the last two weeks. So that, you know, in between the lose, you could watch yet another Democratic ad telling you why 101 would be a good deal. We didn't have that. But what we did have was we had a lot of activists that we've been engaging very aggressively over the course of the last several weeks in the party. We are relying almost entirely right now on a grassroots effort, engaging our activists in our local Republican committees, getting them the tools so that they can get that message out. So we really are dealing strictly with grassroots versus big money. And that's where we've been so far. So you're right. It's. It is David versus Goliath. But so far, David's gaining, gaining steam. We're kind of happy about it.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

You, you guys are pretty tough. They told me you're a tough guy. Okay, where do they go to find out more about this. I want everybody in the country, all the MAGA people to find out more about you and this fight in Virginia because right now folks, it is a

[Jeffrey Ryer]

fight where they go, go to virginia.gop and slash, stop dash gerrymandering. Or if you simply go to virginia.gop@ the very top of the page you'll see see on the left hand side a little, little piece of print that says stop gerrymandering. Click on that. Gives you all the ways you can help us win this battle.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Ryer, you're a good man and you're a tough man and you're a smart man. Thank you for joining us and thank you for this fight. Eight points up on the polls after two and a half million million dollars spent on during the Olympics, during the luge. You watch the skeleton and then you get a, you get another ad of how fair 10 to 11 is nothing, nothing shocks me. The Denver and Spanberger she's going to give the counter. I'll tell you later about our coverage, our wall to go coverage of the State of the Union tomorrow. Short break. Imagine having the world's most connected financial insider feeding you vital information, the kind of information only a handful of people have access to and that could create a fortune for those who know what to do with it. That's exactly what you get when you join our frequent guest and contributor Jim Rickards in his elite research service Strategic Intelligence. Inside Strategic Intelligence. You'll hear directly from Jim and receive critical updates on major financial and political events before they hit the mainstream news. He'll put you in front of the story and tell you exactly what moves to make for your best chance to profit as a proud American. You do not want to be caught off guard. Sign up for Strategic Intelligence right now at your our exclusive website. That's Rickards War Room.com Rickards War Room.com you go there, you get strategic intelligence based upon predictive analytics. Do it today, right now. Rickards war room.com here's your host, Stephen K. Band. Okay. 90% of your net worth is tied up in your home. Every dream you've ever had is in that home. Make sure it doesn't turn into a nightmare in the age of artificial intelligence and cyber and artificial intelligence combined with cyber rogue lawyers, rogue accountants, rogue financial advisors, rogue relatives, rogue significant others. Who knows? You can't let anybody get their hands on that title. No one. How do you protect against that for pennies a day? Hometitlelock.com promo code Steve, you get access for 14 days free of the $1 million triple lock protection. You see how it all works through and can protect you. Take away the angst, the anxiety. Hometitlelock.com don't let anyone get their hands on 90% of your net worth. This is what your retirement and those great golden years are based upon. Don't let anybody get their hands on it. Hometitleock.com promo code Steve, talk to Natalie Dominguez and the team. Talk to them today for pennies a day. Check it out. Central for 2026. By the way, just announced President Trump is coming to Texas. People in Texas are going to, you know, President Trump. This is the rail head of the MAGA movement and it'll be tremendous, tremendous rally. I believe it's going to take place in the Corpus Christi area. More details about that tomorrow. Tony Lyons, you're one of the leaders of the Make America Healthy Again. You were a critical part of Bobby Kennedy's campaign. One of the fears is the reason we won in 24 and so big popular vote all those states is the combination the coalition of Make America Healthy Again and Make America Great Again. One of the concerns is that because we see people around the president say, you got to moderate, you got to moderate, got to moderate. With Make America Healthy Again, all we want is all gas and no brakes. Your assessment, sir, how do we keep this coalition together if all of a sudden people are saying, oh, you got to pull back for a midterm election? This is exactly the moment we should be most aggressive on the Make America Healthy Again agenda, sir.

[Tony Lyons]

I think so, too. Maha is here to support the president and the incredible coalition that they built. And then there are all these groups that are coming out who want to destroy that coalition and they want to drive a wedge and they want to make it look like there's all this disagreement within the movement. But what they miss is that the movement is based on disagreement. Maha. People challenge the status quo. That's what we're good at. We came into this movement to challenge everything, to put everything on the table. Nothing is sacrosanct. So that's our strength, not our weakness. But in the end, we support this president and Bobby Kennedy. And, you know, we see the incredible change that's being made that just on area after area, from vaccines to food to the SNAP program, you know, to getting candy and soda out of the SNAP program, to, you know, switching the food pyramid on its head so that millions and millions of people in this country start eating healthy food, start eating real food and stop eating processed Food. I mean, we are here to end the chronic disease epidemic in this country that 76% of the public suffer from. And so there's this movable middle, you know, they're 12 to 14% of the general population who haven't decided what they're gonna do. And these people want toxins out of food, they want toxins out of pesticides. They, you know, they, they want us to have a reasonable vaccine program. These are people who want common sense and they are looking to a government, to a president who's going to bring back common sense. And they see that Donald Trump is the most Maha president that we've ever had. And yeah, we're going to disagree all the time. And you know, pesticides is a great point there. But we are right in the middle of this opportunity to accelerate a shift to next generation biopesticides, to fast track things, to have pathways for matching, grants for tax incentives. We all know that glyphosate causes cancer. There have been hundreds and hundreds, thousands of lawsuits proving that. The question is, how do we off ramp? How do we use common sense? How do we have a practical way to solve this incredible problem while protecting farmers? That's happening now and the government is really focused on that and Bobby Kennedy is really focused on that. So I think that great things are happening here and we are in the process of making it easier and cheaper to be healthy in this country. We've got the whole country focused on health. I mean, we had a Super bowl ad that was viewed with Mike tyson, viewed by 150 million people. People want to be healthy. 95% of the population wants, you know, healthier food, better school lunches, stricter rules so that lawmakers can't have conflicts of interest with big food companies. I mean, this is happening and these are just incredible wins. And this team is going to stick together and it's going to change the outcome of the midterms. That's what's really happening.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Amazing. Where do people go? You've set up a bunch of these Make America Healthy Again think tanks, action centers, et cetera. Where do people go right now to know more about you, what you're working on in MAHA and your social media, sir.

[Tony Lyons]

Yeah. So, you know, we have 10 different groups that we're building now. We've got the MAHA report on substack. We've got a mailing list of more than 2 million people that people can join. We have MAHA films, Maha parties, big events with thousands of people this coming week in Texas. But the best place for People to go is mahaaction.com that's sort of the Maha hub for right now.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Perfect. There's a big event. We're covering it live in Austin, Texas this Thursday. Tony Lyons, thank you very much, sir. Hopefully we'll see you down there. What a leader. Setting up an entire infrastructure. Make America healthy again. It's not backing off, it's doubling down. Mike Lindell, you're doubling down all the time. Tell me about this deal everybody's talking about. Are you going to extend it for the Warren posse?

[Mike Lindell]

Yeah, absolutely, you guys. And by the way, this will be it for you guys. Remember, we're closing or we're moving factories into a new factory. I've got these mugs. If you go on right now, I'm going to give you one free. You guys just go on and see what all we have on sale. Just pay shipping and handling if you just want the mug. These are from the spring of 2021. Help save our country. A picture of me home holding the Constitution of Plague. These are commemorative. There's only so many left. This will be it. Tonight's it. So any order tonight, you get one free. But we're having the mega sale. The second annual mega sale, you guys. These are our Giza Dream Sheets, our four flagship products that use the dream sheets. As low as 29.98, all colors and sizes in the towels. As low as 34.98. All of the all colors and size. Just came in the get the My pillow where it all started. 14.98 for the standard. And then the MyPillow mattress topper 99.98. Go to mypillow.com war room. And here's what's going to be ending soon. Our factory sale. All the stuff we're moving into our new factory. You get 80% off all our clothing line. All the stuff.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Right.

[Mike Lindell]

Closing out. We don't want to bring to the new factory. This is all for the war room posse.

[Nino Boxer]

Promo code.

[Jeffrey Ryer]

War room.

[Mike Lindell]

Tonight's the night. Go to go to use promo code warm. 800-873-1062. And I'm here taking orders. I took a bunch last night. Let's have some fun.

[Nino Boxer]

Promo code.

[Mike Lindell]

War room.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Do it right now. We'll see you tomorrow morning. Go call Mike Lindell right now. The grassroots under assault in Texas. Particularly the precinct strategy. Next. If you can make one holiday wish, would you wish to be free from your credit card and other debt? Let's see if we can help you with that. If we could give yourself one gift this holiday season. Would it be finally to get some relief from your credit card and other debt? I might have a solution. Here's why. Now's the time to make a move. This time of year, credit card and loan companies close out their books. They clean up past due accounts. They sell or write off the debt to clear their books. That means if you have credit card debt and unpaid bills, lenders may be more open to negotiating and settling your account before you're in. That means right now, and I mean right now, you may actually have leverage. And Done With Debt knows how to use this to your advantage. They monitor lender trends and understand the year end pressure on creditors. They used that timing to negotiate hard on your behalf. Now's the time to get out from under crushing debt and interest payments without bankruptcy or taking on new loans. Done With Debt goes to work for you Month one with one clear goal to reduce your total debt and leave you with more money every month. Get started now because your leverage may disappear at the end of the year. Chat with a Done with debt [e-mail] that's donewithdet.com donewith that.com do it today.