Podcast Summary: "THE CARTEL WARS HAVE BEGUN"

Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec
Date: October 24, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Jack Posobiec reacts to a rapidly escalating situation both at home and abroad: antifa-linked violence in Oakland targeting federal security and the Trump administration's intensifying military campaign against drug cartels in the Caribbean and Latin America. The show features in-depth analysis with guest Dan Caldwell, former Department of Defense official, discussing the implications of recent U.S. military strikes, the possibility of direct conflict with the Maduro regime in Venezuela, and the broader doctrine of "hemispheric defense." Later, Jack interviews Grace Riley about her new podcast, "Restoring America," and the lasting impact of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk on conservative youth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalation of Cartel Wars

• Breaking News: The U.S. has carried out its tenth known military strike against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean under President Trump, killing six “narco-terrorists” (01:55).
• Policy Shift: The Trump administration is explicitly treating cartels as a core national security threat (Guest Commentator, 02:10).
• Presidential Rhetoric: The administration avoids seeking a formal declaration of war but promises lethal force against drug traffickers (“We're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. … they're going to be like dead." — Guest Commentator, 02:40).

2. Domestic Political Violence and Security

• Oakland Incident: Antifa-affiliated protester attempted to attack Coast Guard Island in Alameda with a U-Haul; officers opened fire in a tense escalation (01:07; 03:00).

  • Jack frames this as an attempt to murder federal agents:

    "I'm going to say that again. To murder law enforcement agents, security personnel, as well as perhaps Coast Guard members..." — Jack Posobiec, 03:00

  • Expresses concern about possible Vehicle-Borne IED tactics and “test runs” for larger attacks.
  • Criticizes media downplaying violence.

• Media Reaction: Critique of left-leaning journalists (e.g., Chris Hayes) for expressing concern about cartel casualties without acknowledging cartel brutality ("Let me tell you something, Chris. Do you know what the cartel members do? … the most horrifying videos I've seen from anywhere in the world... it's the cartel videos." — Jack Posobiec, 05:02)

3. The Military Response and the Doctrine of Hemispheric Defense

• Historical Context: Interdicting smugglers in the Caribbean is a traditional U.S. Navy role, dating back centuries (11:14).

• Increased Military Presence: Deployment of the USS Ford carrier strike group greatly expands U.S. operational capabilities in the Caribbean—quadrupling available aircraft, intelligence, and surveillance (14:21).

• Potential for Escalation: While officially about combating cartels, these moves could also pressure the Maduro regime in Venezuela. There’s concern about the blurred line between anti-cartel operations and de facto regime change:

  "Regardless of what you think about the cartel mission, we should definitely be wary of that possibility." — Dan Caldwell, 14:21

• Operational Details:

  • Most strikes so far conducted by drones (likely Reapers); drones are preferred for their persistence and lower risk (17:09-17:57).
  • If land strikes occur in Venezuela, U.S. forces would first need to suppress Russian-built air defenses. Caldwell outlines the complexity of such a mission, warning against "video game logic" about airstrikes (20:34–23:32).

4. Risks of Blowback and Retaliation

• Potential Venezuelan Retaliation: Possibility that the Maduro regime, due to Marxist and nationalist ideology, could strike back at U.S. interests in response to land strikes on their soil, either regionally or even domestically (20:34–22:05).
• Cartel Retaliation on U.S. Soil: Warnings that cartels have deep networks inside the U.S. and could escalate violence at home if pressed militarily abroad. Caldwell argues cartels are a bigger threat than remnants of ISIS or Al Qaeda (24:55).

5. America First, Border Security, and National Priorities

• Caldwell and Posobiec stress that what happens in the Western Hemisphere is more important to America's safety and prosperity than far-off conflicts:

  "What happens in the Western hemisphere is more important to our physical safety and the conditions of our economic prosperity..." — Dan Caldwell, 12:22

• Emphasis on Trump’s strategic priority and border security success.

6. Passing of the Torch—Restoring America with Grace Riley

• Podcast/Media Announcement: Grace Riley joins to share her new show aimed at contextualizing the news from a Christian conservative perspective, inspired by the legacy of Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA (29:09).
• Discussion of youth engagement, overcoming leftist cultural hegemony, and the ongoing need to promote “God, family, country.”
• Grace emphasizes the need for courage and restoring foundational values over revolutionary "transformation."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Increasing Political Violence:

  “They are getting more and more violent. The violence is increasing. They are attempting to do anything they can to kill our ICE agents, to kill Coast Guard, to kill federal law, law enforcement.” — Jack Posobiec, 03:00

• On U.S. Response to Cartels:

  "Under the Trump administration, we're finally treating the cartels as the core national security threat that they really are. … We're waging war on them like they've never seen before." — Guest Commentator, 02:10

• On Presidential Approach:

  “I think we're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay. We're going to kill them. You know, they're going to be like dead.” — Guest Commentator, 02:40

• On the Realities of Intervention:

  "It's not as black and white to say, okay, you know, this is us getting into yet another stupid war in the Middle East. This is our backyard, and there are real threats and interests at stake." — Dan Caldwell, 25:32

• On Media Framing & Disinformation:

  “What Antifa is doing, they're going, they're running all over TikTok right now and they're clipping the video to make it look like these officers, these federal law enforcement is just randomly opening fire on a U Haul truck. But if you show the full video… the Antifa driver flooring it in reverse… could have killed them by running them over. ...And unfortunately, I feel like this is getting worse.” — Jack Posobiec, 41:21

• On Restoring American Values (Grace Riley):

  "We're focused on bringing back those values, putting, shining a light on them, shining a light on the things that have made our country successful so great. But beyond that, shining a light on truth. ...America is in the midst of a very serious identity crisis for many reasons." — Grace Riley, 36:12

Important Timestamps

• 00:50 — News blurb: Trump halts trade with Canada, ongoing federal worker pay impasse.
• 01:07 — Breaking: Coast Guard fires on U-Haul attack in Alameda.
• 01:55 — Breaking: U.S. strike kills six narco-terrorists—10th under Trump.
• 02:10 — Guest Commentator: Framing the cartel fight as war; rationale for direct action.
• 03:00–07:23 — Jack's reaction to Oakland incident, rise in leftist violence, media framing.
• 11:14 — Historical context: U.S. Navy’s longtime Caribbean role.
• 12:22 — Caldwell: Western Hemisphere should be America’s security priority.
• 14:21 — Analysis of USS Ford’s role and risks of escalation with Venezuela.
• 17:09 — Discussion of drone strikes, operational choices, and military tactics.
• 20:34–23:32 — Examining risks, air defense challenges, and operation complexity.
• 24:55–26:35 — Cartels as greater threat than ISIS, importance of actions in our hemisphere.
• 29:09–47:56 — Interview with Grace Riley on youth conservatism, new podcast, and restoring American values.

Closing Notes

This high-tempo episode captures a moment of growing military assertiveness against cartels, fraught with risk of escalation, while drawing strong parallels between foreign threats and domestic unrest. Jack Posobiec balances urgent analysis of national security with cultural commentary and a focus on rejuvenating conservative activism among America's youth.

For further discussion and updates, check out Grace Riley’s new show “Restoring America” (YouTube, Spotify, Apple).