HERE’S THE SCOOP — NBC NEWS
Episode Summary: "Mexico Takes Out a Drug Kingpin and Tariff Chaos Leads EU to Pause Trade Deal"
Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian

Overview

This episode of "Here’s the Scoop" dives into two critical international stories: the Mexican government’s takedown of notorious cartel leader "El Mencho," with U.S. assistance, and the escalating global economic uncertainty as President Trump pushes forward on new tariffs, triggering the EU to freeze trade negotiations. The episode also recaps major national headlines, including a winter storm, a security incident at Mar-a-Lago, a UK political scandal, and Team USA's historic Winter Olympics performance.

Segment 1: The Death of El Mencho and U.S.-Mexico Relations

[00:03 – 08:47]

Key Discussion Points

How the Operation Unfolded

• Operation Details:
  • Mexican military tracked and sought to capture El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, in Jalisco, thanks in part to U.S. intelligence.
  • The operation resulted in El Mencho’s death after he was wounded during the raid and died en route to Mexico City.
  • Intelligence breakthrough came from tracking one of his romantic partners ([01:31]–[02:44]).

El Mencho's Rise

• Background:
  • From humble origins in rural Mexico to drug dealing in California in the 1980s ([02:48]–[03:14]).
  • Rose through cartels, eventually forming the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
  • The CJNG became infamous for brutality, widespread social media use, and filling the power vacuum post-El Chapo ([03:14]–[04:23]).
  • Led major fentanyl and meth trafficking operations into the U.S.

U.S. Role in the Operation

• American Involvement:
  • The U.S. provided critical intelligence support but officially maintained that this was a Mexican-led operation ([04:45]–[07:22]).
  • Ongoing debate about U.S. military involvement in sovereign countries and the extent of “human intelligence” provided.
  • Operation is seen as a demonstration by President Sheinbaum of her commitment to combat cartels, partly to stave off U.S. pressure and the threat of tariffs.

Kingpin Strategy & Its Limits

• Political Dilemma:
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has criticized the “kingpin strategy,” noting the risk of power vacuums and new leaders rising from the ranks ([07:22]–[07:53]).
  • Yet, Sheinbaum is compelled to cooperate with Washington to avoid unilateral U.S. action.

Notable Quotes

• Gabe Gutierrez:
  • “This is someone who the Americans, DEA really have been tracking for quite some time… The reward… went up from $10 million to $15 million. And all came to a head over the weekend.” ([01:31])
  • “Since then, he was known as being this ruthless killer… They were compared in some ways to ISIS and being even more brutal…” ([03:28])
  • “Also partly because of the threat of ongoing tariffs, which the president has not been shy in saying that he will use as a foreign policy tool, to get what he wants.” ([06:43])

Segment 2: Tariff Battles, Trade Deal Fallout, and EU Response

[10:11 – 17:26]

Key Discussion Points

Supreme Court Ruling and Trump’s Response

• Ruling:
  • Supreme Court struck down most of Trump’s sweeping tariffs as unlawful ([10:11]).
• White House Reaction:
  • President Trump responded immediately by switching legal strategy, imposing a new 10% — then 15% — global tariff under a different law (Section 122).
  • These new tariffs are capped at 15% and only last up to 150 days, requiring Congressional action for longer term.

Impact on the EU and International Trade

• EU Response:
  • EU has paused ratification of its trade deal with the U.S., citing legal and policy uncertainty. Not the first pause — a similar event followed a “Greenland tariff” dispute ([10:52]–[12:14]).
• Broader Global Impact:
  • Other countries remain in a state of flux, unsure day-to-day of U.S. tariff policy.
  • Brian Chung: “We never got out of the trade war. We’ve been in the trade war since day one and we still remain in it.” ([14:38])
• China:
  • "The temperature has been dialed down substantially... trade negotiations with China have been going a little better than, say, with other trading partners." ([15:23])

Domestic Impact

• Business and Markets:
  • Markets viewed the Supreme Court ruling as mildly positive, but rapid reinstatement of tariffs created ongoing uncertainty.
  • Companies and consumers can’t plan with confidence — “We don’t know on any given day whether the tariffs are on or off.” ([17:07])
  • According to JP Morgan, effective tariff rates remain nearly unchanged despite the legal shifts.

Notable Quotes

• Brian Chung:
  • “When you consider that immediately after that, the President said, we’re going to stand those tariffs up with these other temporary fixes, as a company, you’re probably thinking, net net, this doesn’t mean that much.” ([16:25])

Segment 3: Headlines Roundup

[19:09 – 23:43]

Major Headlines

• East Coast Blizzard:
  • Over 69 million under winter alerts, >2 feet of snow in some areas, 600k+ without power, and mass flight cancellations. ([19:09])
• Mar-a-Lago Incident:
  • 21-year-old man shot by Secret Service at Mar-a-Lago after approaching with a shotgun and gas can. He was identified as Austin Tucker Martin; FBI investigation ongoing ([19:50]–[20:48]).
• UK Political Scandal:
  • Former UK ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, arrested over Epstein ties and allegations of leaked sensitive info ([20:48]).
• Hollywood Crime:
  • Nick Reiner, son of director Rob Reiner, pleads not guilty to murder of his parents ([21:31]).
• Olympics Update:
  • Team USA men's hockey team wins gold, first in 46 years ("second Miracle on Ice").
  • Team USA earned 12 gold medals total, their best Winter Games showing. President Trump invited both hockey teams to State of the Union, but women's team declined due to academic and scheduling commitments ([22:13]–[23:43]).
  • "Team USA is going home with 12 gold medals. That's more than the United States has ever pulled in any Winter Olympics." — Shaquille Brewster ([23:15])

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Whatever criticism President Sheinbaum has of that strategy also has to be weighed against the spot that she is in right now trying to negotiate with the Trump administration.” — Gabe Gutierrez ([07:53])
• “If you are an American importer, you’re probably saying, all right, well, yep, the Supreme Court struck down that tariff, but we’re just going to expect other tariffs to be put up in their place.” — Brian Chung ([13:37])
• “We never got out of the trade war. We’ve been in the trade war since day one and we still remain in it.” — Brian Chung ([14:38])
• “We are still talking about that big game between the United States and Canada in men’s hockey. Team USA going home with the gold, ending what was a 46-year drought…” — Shaquille Brewster ([22:27])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:03] – Mexican cartel operation, interview with Gabe Gutierrez
• [02:44] – Who was El Mencho?
• [04:23] – U.S. involvement in the operation
• [07:22] – Kingpin strategy, Sheinbaum’s position
• [10:11] – Supreme Court, Trump tariffs, EU trade deal, interview with Brian Chung
• [14:20] – Global responses and risk of more trade wars
• [15:23] – China’s position and current trade status
• [16:25] – Market and business reactions
• [19:09] – Blizzard impact
• [19:50] – Mar-a-Lago security incident
• [20:48] – UK ambassador arrested in Epstein scandal
• [21:31] – Nick Reiner pleads not guilty
• [22:13] – Olympics wrap-up: men's hockey gold, Team USA’s medal haul

This episode provides a brisk but rich overview of high-stakes international events and their ripple effects, offering clear context for the day's most pressing headlines with insight from NBC’s top correspondents.