February 24th, 2026: Ukraine Claws Back Ground As Russia’s Military Stalls & Another Round of Iran Diplomacy Ahead

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The President's Daily Brief

Host: Mike Baker (The First TV)
Episode: February 24th, 2026: Ukraine Claws Back Ground As Russia’s Military Stalls & Another Round of Iran Diplomacy Ahead
Date: February 24, 2026
Total Length (content): ~23 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode, released on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, focuses on three main arenas:

1. The stalling of Russian military momentum and minor Ukrainian territorial gains.
2. Diplomatic fractures within the European Union that threaten vital aid to Ukraine, notably due to Hungary’s blockade, and the implications of continued dependency on Russian energy.
3. Renewed, high-stakes nuclear diplomacy between the United States and Iran, with the threat of military escalation looming. Additionally, in the "Back of the Brief," the episode examines the fallout from the killing of the infamous Mexican cartel boss El Mencho, which has triggered nationwide violence and affected American tourists.

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1. Four Years of War: Ukraine and Russia at a Stalemate

Key Discussion Points

• Anniversary Reflection
  On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Mike Baker revisits initial expectations versus the reality today:

  • “Four years ago today, Russian troops, tanks and artillery began streaming across the Ukrainian border in what many analysts and Putin himself assumed would be a campaign measured in weeks, if not days.” (01:00)

• Russian Advances Have Plateaued

  • Russian troop levels have stabilized at "just a little over 700,000 personnel, including reserves," with no further growth over the last six months. (02:42)
  • Russian recruitment is now only maintaining numbers, not expanding them:
    • “A military that can't grow can't surge. And a military that can't surge struggles to break a hardened front line.” (03:20)

• Ukrainian Counteractions

  • Ukraine has regained control of eight settlements and cleared Russian groups from over 300 square kilometers—small, but symbolically significant advances. (03:39)
  • “These aren’t sweeping breakthroughs… but they are important.” (03:58)
  • Russia’s initial land grabs have largely solidified; gains since early 2023 are marginal. The conflict is now entrenched, “resembling the grinding trench warfare of World War I.” (02:15, 04:09)

• The Numbers & Strategic Questions

  • Hundreds of thousands dead or wounded; millions displaced; billions in Western aid to Ukraine; NATO and European security recalibrated.
  • Core questions:
    • “If Russia can’t grow its forces… can it still achieve its objective?”
    • “If Ukraine can… reverse Russian advances, can it sustain that momentum without wholehearted Western support?” (05:45)

• Memorable Quote

  • “What it got instead was this grinding war of endurance. Today, Russia has not achieved its maximal aims… Four years on, Ukraine has not been broken.” (06:10)

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2. Fractured Alliances: EU Diplomatic Blockades & the Energy War

Key Discussion Points

• Hungary’s Veto & EU Discord

  • Hungary blocks a €90 billion EU emergency loan to Ukraine and stalls the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia.
    • “Budapest has tied both measures to the restoration of Russian oil flows to their country. That dependence is the pressure point.” (09:17)
  • Hungary, receiving “roughly 80 to 90% of its crude oil” from Russia (via the Druzhba pipeline), and Slovakia have resisted tougher sanctions.

• Energy Dependency as Leverage

  • Damaged pipelines (struck by drones) have halted oil flows, increasing Hungarian and Slovakian resistance.
  • Viktor Orban’s stance, quoted by Baker:
    • “Once oil shipments resume, normal relations will be restored.” (10:06)

• Impact on Ukraine

  • Delay in EU aid is critical, especially as US assistance wanes after President Trump’s re-election (10:58).
  • “Kyiv signals it needs fresh EU assistance as early as April… That makes the Hungarian vetoes more impactful.” (10:58)

• Ukrainian Long-Range Drone Strikes

  • Ukraine attacked a key oil pumping station in Russia’s Tatarstan region—900 miles inside Russia—underscoring how the war now involves infrastructure as well as territory. (11:31–12:06)
  • “The battlefield runs also through pipelines, power grids, and the political machinery of the European Union.” (12:13)

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3. Mideast Tensions: Renewed U.S.-Iran Nuclear Diplomacy

Key Discussion Points

• New Geneva Talks Amidst U.S. Military Buildup

  • U.S. envoys, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, return to indirect talks with Iran under threat of U.S. military action.
  • “Washington is not walking into Geneva hoping for goodwill. It’s pairing diplomacy with deterrence. The message is simple: A deal is available, but a delay carries consequence.” (13:38)

• Major U.S. Force Projection

  • Two U.S. aircraft carriers, over 120 aircraft deployed—the largest Mideast American air power since the Iraq invasion. (13:09, 13:26)

• Points of Impasse

  • Talks have not narrowed the gap regarding uranium enrichment, Iran’s missile program, or support for regional proxies.
  • Iranian President Bezechkian: “Recent talks have produced, quote, encouraging signals. While warning that Tehran is prepared for, quote, any potential scenario.” (14:37)
  • Iran’s Foreign Minister Aradchi frames enrichment as a matter of “dignity and pride” and claims willingness to cooperate with IAEA despite limited oversight. (14:41–15:08)
  • For the U.S., “Preventing Iran from ever reaching a nuclear weapons threshold means addressing enrichment directly.” (15:16)
  • Israel wants broader restrictions, creating divergence between U.S. and Israeli goals:
    • “While Trump’s priority is the nuclear file, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has pressed for a far broader dismantling of Iran’s military capabilities, including its missile arsenal and proxy infrastructure.” (16:36)

• Memorable Quotes

  • “Witkoff said Trump is curious why Tehran has not yet, quote, capitulated and agreed to curb its program.” (15:48)
  • “Any deal that leaves the mullahs and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in place and fails to allow for full transparency… is not a deal worth making.” (17:25)

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4. Back of the Brief: El Mencho’s Death Triggers Cartel Chaos in Mexico

Key Discussion Points

• Major Cartel Figure Killed

  • El Mencho (Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes), CJNG leader, tracked to a remote cabin, killed after a fierce firefight.
    • “Special forces and National Guard units closed in… His bodyguards opened fire, triggering a fierce gun battle.” (21:04)

• Aftermath: Widespread Violence & Tourist Warnings

  • US embassy warns Americans in Puerto Vallarta and Cancun to shelter in place; flights canceled or delayed.
  • “85 blockades nationwide, 18 in Jalisco alone, along with attacks on gas stations, banks, and security forces.” (22:02)
  • “Thousands of Mexican troops have now been deployed to restore order. More than 25 security personnel were killed… more than 30 cartel members and at least one civilian.” (22:12–22:19)

• Pattern of Escalated Violence

  • “Previous high-profile arrests and killings of cartel leaders have triggered immediate waves of violence as rival factions and loyalists scramble for control.” (22:31)
  • “El Mencho’s death removes one of the most ruthless and powerful drug kingpins in the Western Hemisphere, a man whose organization has trafficked fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine into the US on an industrial scale.” (22:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Ukraine’s Defiance:
  • “Four years later, the map looks very different from those early expectations… Russia occupies roughly one fifth of Ukraine’s territory, in some places less territory than it captured in those first days.” (01:51)
• On Russian Stalemate:
  • “If recruitment is now merely replacing losses, not expanding the force, then the engine of expansion has stalled.” (03:18)
• On Hungary:
  • “Budapest accused Kyiv of blackmail, arguing that the disruption was being used as leverage against Hungary's opposition to further sanctions or over opposition to Orban's desire to appease Putin.” (09:56)
• On Geneva Talks:
  • “Washington is not walking into Geneva hoping for goodwill. It’s pairing diplomacy with deterrence. The message is simple: A deal is available, but a delay carries consequence.” (13:38)
• On Iranian Dialogue:
  • “Their track record is anything but accommodating or transparent. I know I'm sounding very negative here.” (16:08)
• On El Mencho’s Demise:
  • “His bodyguards opened fire, triggering a fierce gun battle.” (21:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ukraine War Analysis/Battlefield Update: 00:12–06:25
• EU Diplomatic Blockades & Energy War: 08:26–12:27
• Iran Nuclear Diplomacy: 12:28–17:41
• Back of the Brief: Mexico Cartel Violence: 20:19–22:50

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Tone & Style

• Analytical, direct, sometimes wryly critical (especially regarding diplomatic spin).
• Emphasis on sobering numbers, military realities, and the limits of diplomatic optimism.
• Interspersed with pointed rhetorical questions and sardonic asides—e.g., on Iranian transparency and European energy politics.

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For listeners seeking to understand the state of major international crises—Ukraine’s war, energy and alliance dynamics in Europe, US-Iran brinkmanship, and the real-time consequences of cartel politics in Mexico—this episode provides a concise, strategic, and at times brutally honest briefing.

Transcript

[Mike Baker]

It's Tuesday, the 24th of February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up on the fourth anniversary. Can you believe that? The fourth anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. New signs suggest Moscow's momentum may be fading. Russia's troop levels have plateaued and Ukrainian forces are reclaiming territory.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Later in the show, Ukraine hits a

[Mike Baker]

snag, though, on the diplomatic front as Hungary blocks a major European Union loan

[Co-host or Correspondent]

package and new sanctions on Russia.

[Mike Baker]

Not a surprise, given Hungary's Viktor Orban is not averse to doing Putin's bidding.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Plus, the clock keeps ticking with Iran.

[Mike Baker]

US Envoys are heading to Geneva for more indirect talks even as the threat of American strikes loom on the horizon. And in today's Back of the Brief, the aftermath of El Mencho's killing triggers unrest in Mexico, with Americans in Puerto Vallarta told to shelter in place as flights are canceled and diverted. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Four years ago today, Russian troops, tanks and artillery began streaming across the Ukrainian border in what many analysts and Putin himself assumed would be a campaign measured in weeks, if not days.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Columns advanced from multiple directions. They surged westward into Ukraine's eastern provinces

[Mike Baker]

from Russian territory, while armored units drove south from Belarus toward the capital.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Missiles rained down across the country.

[Mike Baker]

Western intelligence warned that Kyiv could fall quickly.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Of course, all the assumptions failed to

[Mike Baker]

capture the grit and determination of Ukraine's defenders and the profound miscalculations, missteps and misinformation inside the Kremlin. Four years later, the map looks very different from those early expectations. Russia occupies roughly one fifth of Ukraine's territory, in some places less territory than it captured in those first days.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

The war has become Europe's largest land

[Mike Baker]

conflict since World War II, and in many ways resembles the grinding trench warfare of World War I. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced, and tens of billions of dollars in Western military aid have poured into ky. But here's what stands out on this fourth anniversary. For the first time since the full scale invasion began, Russia's war machine appears to have stopped growing.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

According to reporting this week, the number

[Mike Baker]

of Russian occupation troops inside Ukraine has plateaued over the past six months, holding steady at just a little over 700,000 personnel, including reserves. That figure has not increased despite Moscow meeting its recruitment targets. The reason that's significant is that for

[Co-host or Correspondent]

much of this war, Russia relied on

[Mike Baker]

sheer mass, mobilizing Additional troops, feeding manpower into meat grinder assaults and accepting staggering casualties in exchange for incremental gains. It was a brutal math problem. More bodies for those small territorial gains.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

But if recruitment is now merely replacing

[Mike Baker]

losses, not expanding the force, then the engine of expansion has stalled. A military that can't grow, can't surge. And a military that can't surge struggles to break a hardened front line.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

And over the past few weeks, we've

[Mike Baker]

begun to see signs of that dynamic on the battlefield.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Ukraine's air assault forces announced that they've

[Mike Baker]

regained control of eight settlements in recent days. Ukrainian forces say they've cleared Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups from more than 300 square kilometers of territory in that area. These aren't sweeping breakthroughs, to be sure. They don't fundamentally alter the map, but they are important.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

They suggest that in certain sectors, Russian

[Mike Baker]

forces are no longer advancing and in some cases, are being pushed back. Zooming out the broader picture reinforces the point.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

After seizing large swaths of eastern and

[Mike Baker]

southern Ukraine in the early months of the invasion, including securing a land corridor to Crimea, Russia's territorial gains have slowed dramatically. Analysts estimate that since early 2023, Moscow has gained only a small additional percentage of Ukrainian territory. The front lines have largely solidified into entrenched defensive belts and minefields and dueling grounds for drones. It is a war of attrition. Russia still fields a larger population, deeper manpower reserves, and significant industrial capacity.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

It has retooled its economy for a war footing. That economy has shown remarkable resilience and

[Mike Baker]

continues to produce artillery shells and drones and missiles at high volume. Ukraine, for its part, remains heavily dependent on Western ammunition, air defenses, and financial support. And that support is no longer as politically unified as it once was. Fractures inside the European Union, although along not unsurprising lines, are jeopardizing agreements over further sanctions and financial aid packages. And we'll have more on that in the next segment of this episode. Now, the numbers, after four years, are sobering. Europe's security architecture has been rewritten. NATO has expanded. Energy markets have been reshaped. Sanctions have strained Russia's economy, but not collapsed it. Ukraine has demonstrated extraordinary resilience, but at immense human cost. And that brings us to the strategic question on this anniversary. If Russia can't grow its forces beyond its current footprint, can it still achieve its objective?

[Co-host or Correspondent]

If Ukraine can stabilize and, in places

[Mike Baker]

reverse Russian advances, can it sustain that momentum without wholehearted Western support? And as both sides dig in for a fifth year of war, which nation's political will will prevail? Four years ago, the world expected a lightning strike. What it got instead was this grinding war of endurance. Today, Russia has not achieved its maximal aims. Their goal was never just the Donbass or portions of Eastern Ukraine. They wanted the entire country. They still. But four years on, well, four years on, Ukraine has not been broken.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

All right, coming up next, Ukraine faces

[Mike Baker]

diplomatic headwinds as Hungary blocks key European Union aid and new sanctions on Russia, while US Envoys head to Geneva for high stakes talks with Iran under the threat of potential American strikes. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, many of you know me as the host of the President's Daily Brief, but I'm also a business owner, have been for years.

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[Mike Baker]

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[Mike Baker]

Welcome back to the pdb. We just walked through the battlefield realities of the Ukraine conflict.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Now I want to shift the focus

[Mike Baker]

to Brussels, where Hungary has thrown down two vetoes to block a 90 billion euro emergency loan for Kyiv and stall

[Co-host or Correspondent]

the EU's latest sanctions package against Moscow.

[Mike Baker]

Once again, Hungary's leader, Viktor Orban is showing his true colors.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

As we touched on in Monday's PDB, negotiations over the bloc's 20th sanctions package

[Mike Baker]

have been strained because of two EU and NATO members. That would be Hungary and Slovakia. And it's not just a routine objection. The 90 billion euro loan had already been approved by the European Parliament and endorsed by EU leaders at a December summit where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime ally within NATO of Putin,

[Co-host or Correspondent]

negotiated an opt out for his country.

[Mike Baker]

Now, Budapest has tied both measures to the restoration of Russian oil flows to their country. That dependence is the pressure point. Hungary receives roughly 80 to 90% of its crude oil through what's known as the Druzhba pipeline. That's an infrastructure pipeline built during the Cold War that still links part of Central Europe to Russian export flows.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Hungary and Slovakia have continued to feed

[Mike Baker]

Putin's war machine through their reliance on Russian energy after crude shipments through Guzba were halted in late January due to damaged pipeline infrastructure in western Ukraine, which

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Ukrainian officials said was caused by a Russian drone strike.

[Mike Baker]

Budapest accused Kyiv of blackmail, arguing that the disruption was being used as leverage against Hungary's opposition to further sanctions or over opposition to Orban's desire to appease Putin. Now, however you want to frame it, the Kremlin friendly Orban said, quote, once oil shipments resume, normal relations will be restored. And he wasn't alone. As we've been tracking, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico quickly aligned himself with Budapest and Putin. He too threatened to halt diesel and electricity exports to Ukraine unless oil transit is restored.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Earlier this month, Bratislava declared a state

[Mike Baker]

of emergency in its oil sector, underscoring how deeply energy dependence continues to shape policy decisions inside the European Union. And that is where the confrontation sharpens. Brussels hoped to finalize the sanctions package, which includes a full ban on services for Russian oil tankers, in time for the invasion's anniversary.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Instead, EU foreign policy chief Kayakalas acknowledged

[Mike Baker]

that agreement was unlikely, citing Hungary's very strong statements. She urged member states not to conflate separate issues, but to no availability. And the timing here is something to highlight. Kyiv signals it needs fresh EU assistance as early as April, particularly after US military and financial aid slowed following President Trump's re election. That makes the Hungarian vetoes more impactful. They directly affect Ukraine's near term funding outlook. And the dispute over energy also continues to unfold on the battlefield.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Just hours before the Monday meeting, Ukrainian

[Mike Baker]

long range drone strikes struck a key oil pumping station in Russia's Tatarstan region. That's a critical node in the Druzhba pipeline. Network. Located roughly 900 miles inside Russian territory, the facility gathers crude from Western Siberia, the Urals, and the Caspian before sending it westward toward Central Europe, including Hungary and Slovakia.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Geolocated footage on social media shows flames

[Mike Baker]

and thick black smoke rising from the site. Ukraine's General Staff claimed responsibility for the drone strike.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Russia's Defense Ministry responded to Kyiv's claim,

[Mike Baker]

saying it engaged 35 enemy drones over Tatarstan, but did not comment on the extent of the damage. So now, four years into the war, the battlefield runs also through pipelines, power grids, and the political machinery of the European Union.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

All right, turning our focus to the

[Mike Baker]

Middle east and Iranian nuclear talks, such as they are, Washington is preparing for for another round of negotiations, indirect negotiations with Iran and Geneva. But after two rounds that produce no breakthrough, expectations remain low as American aircraft carriers and massive air support are positioned in the Gulf. The latest session, which is set for Thursday, will bring US Special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser to President Trump Jared Kushner back to the table. But Tehran is again negotiating under mounting pressure. As we've been tracking, Trump has made clear he is considering limited strikes if the regime still refuses to move.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Two carrier strike groups, the USS Abraham

[Mike Baker]

Lincoln, already positioned in the Arabian sea, and the USS Gerald R. Ford on

[Co-host or Correspondent]

route alongside more than 120 aircraft, fighter jets and refueling tankers are currently part

[Mike Baker]

of the leverage that the White House is bringing to the negotiating table.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

As I've mentioned, some assessments indicate that

[Mike Baker]

this is the largest concentration of American air power in the Middle east since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Now, before we even get to the substance of the talks, you have to understand the setup.

[Mike Baker]

Washington is not walking into Geneva hoping for goodwill. It's pairing diplomacy with deterrence. The message is simple. A deal is available, but a delay carries consequence.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

The first round of indirect talks in

[Mike Baker]

Oman was described as constructive. Oh, really? The second, held in Geneva, was framed by Oman's foreign minister, who is the mediator in these indirect discussions, as a, quote, positive push toward finalizing an agreement. But when you strip away the diplomatic language and the tendency for all diplomats and negotiators to over egg the pudding, neither session closed the gap on the central disputes. And a key dispute remains in Richmond. Well, not to mention that the Iranian regime refuses to discuss their ballistic missile program or their support for their terrorist proxy network throughout the region.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Basically, the regime is attempting to limit

[Mike Baker]

the talks to a very narrow element of their nuclear program in exchange for what they describe as sanctions relief. Iranian President Masoud Bezechkian says Recent talks

[Co-host or Correspondent]

have produced, quote, encouraging signals. While warning that Tehran is prepared for,

[Mike Baker]

quote, any potential scenario, the Islamic Republic's foreign minister, Abbas Aradchi, has gone further, framing the regime's nuclear program as a matter of national, quote, dignity and pride. He still insists that enrichment is a sovereign right under the non Proliferation Treaty and says Iran is willing to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Really? Despite denying the the UN Nuclear watchdog

[Co-host or Correspondent]

full access and transparency to its nuclear

[Mike Baker]

facilities over the history of its nuclear program. But perhaps that just makes me sound churlish.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

What Iraqi has not said and what

[Mike Baker]

Tehran has consistently refused to entertain is abandoning enrichment altogether. And that is the crux of the impasse for Washington. Preventing Iran from ever reaching a nuclear weapons threshold means addressing enrichment directly. Witkoff said Trump is curious why Tehran has not yet, quote, capitulated and agreed to curb its program. The president's focus appears narrowly centered on stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Administration officials have signaled that zero enrichment from the mullahs would be the clearest, most durable path to that outcome. Again, no one is addressing the fact that the international community has never had the ability to fully verify the compliance of the regime in regards to any past agreements.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Iraq sheet says Tehran is preparing a

[Mike Baker]

draft proposal that would, quote, accommodate both

[Co-host or Correspondent]

sides concerns, potentially even exceeding the elements

[Mike Baker]

of the 2015 nuclear deal brokered under then President Barack Obama. How generous of the mullahs and the irgc. Again, their track record is anything but accommodating or transparent. I know I'm sounding very negative here.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Officials in Tehran have also made clear

[Mike Baker]

they are resisting efforts to broaden the negotiations to include ballistic missiles or Iran's regional proxy networks, issues that remain central to Israeli security concerns. And that refusal is important to point

[Co-host or Correspondent]

out because while Trump's priority is the

[Mike Baker]

nuclear file, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has pressed for a far broader dismantling of Iran's military capabilities, including its missile arsenal and proxy infrastructure. And that creates a quiet strategic divergence between Washington and Jerusalem over the ultimate scope of any agreement. So let's step back and look at the landscape heading into Geneva. American leverage is increasing, military assets are in place, and the White House is

[Co-host or Correspondent]

openly signaling that it has alternatives if

[Mike Baker]

talks continue to stall. Meanwhile, Tehran's rhetoric remains steady, firm on enrichment and resistant to expanding the scope of negotiations. The reality is any deal that leaves the mullahs and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

[Co-host or Correspondent]

in place and fails to allow for

[Mike Baker]

full transparency into the regime's nuclear program and allows the regime to continue building its ballistic missile program while continuing to arm and resource the regional proxies is not a deal worth making.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Okay, coming up in today's Back of

[Mike Baker]

the brief violence escalates after the death of cartel boss El Mencho, prompting US

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Officials to warn Americans in Puerto Vallarta

[Mike Baker]

and elsewhere to shelter in place. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

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[Mike Baker]

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[Co-host or Correspondent]

in today's Back of the Brief the fallout from the killing of cartel boss

[Mike Baker]

El Mencho continues, with American tourists and

[Co-host or Correspondent]

some of Mexico's most popular vacation destinations

[Mike Baker]

now being told to shelter in place. The US embassy issued security alerts covering

[Co-host or Correspondent]

parts of 18 Mexican states, warning Americans and cities including Puerto Vallarta and Cancun

[Mike Baker]

to remain indoors amid road blockades and cartel violence.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Flights in and out of Guadalajara and

[Mike Baker]

Puerto Vallarta have faced delays and cancellations, while videos circulating online show black smoke rising over highways and burned out vehicles blocking major intersections.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

All of this comes after Mexican special

[Mike Baker]

forces tracked down and killed Nemesio Ruben

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Oseguera Cervantes, better known as Elementio, the

[Mike Baker]

leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known by its acronym cjng.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

According to Mexican officials, security forces located him by tracking one of his girlfriends.

[Mike Baker]

Mean he had more than one girlfriend. What a cad to a secluded cabin in the mountains of Tapalpa in Jalisco. State special forces and National Guard units closed in on the site over the weekend. When they approached, his bodyguards opened fire, triggering a fierce gun battle.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Eight cartel members were killed in the firefight.

[Mike Baker]

El Mencho was captured, wounded in nearby woods, but he died while being airlifted to medical treatment.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Mexican officials are now confirming that the

[Mike Baker]

operation involved coordination with the U S Mexico Task Force, integrating military, intelligence and law enforcement personnel.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

In response to El Mencho's killing, cartel

[Mike Baker]

members have unleashed retaliatory violence across multiple states.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Authorities reported 85 blockades nationwide, 18 in Jalisco alone, along with attacks on gas

[Mike Baker]

stations, banks and security forces.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Vehicles were set ablaze, schools were canceled,

[Mike Baker]

public transportation was suspended as the violence spread across more than 20 Mexican states.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

Thousands of Mexican troops have now been

[Mike Baker]

deployed to restore order. More than 25 security personnel were killed in the broader operation, along with more than 30 cartel members and at least one civilian.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

If this pattern feels familiar, it's because, well, it is. As we noted yesterday, previous high profile

[Mike Baker]

arrests and killings of cartel leaders have triggered immediate waves of violence as rival factions and loyalists scramble for control.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

El Mencho's death removes one of the

[Mike Baker]

most ruthless and powerful drug kingpins in the Western Hemisphere, a man whose organization

[Co-host or Correspondent]

has trafficked fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine

[Mike Baker]

into the US on an industrial scale. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday, 24th February. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and finally, remember to check out our YouTube channel. Some say it's the finest YouTube channel of all. Just search up at President's Daily Brief.

[Co-host or Correspondent]

I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back

[Mike Baker]

later today with the PDB afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.

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