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The President's Daily Brief
February 6th, 2025: ICE Takes Down Violent Venezuelan Gang & Trump’s Gaza Proposal Sparks Pushback
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- [00:12]
Mike Baker
It's Thursday, the 6th of February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Now, hey, if I look a little haggard, right, and I suspect I do, well, it's because I've been on the road for a while. And as they say, it's not the years, it's the mileage. Look, I'm back out in the Middle east to join the amazing team as they complete the epic journey across 1100 kilometers of desert from northwest Saudi to Aqaba and Jordan. It's all for the benefit of the UK Special Forces Club Benevolent Fund. That's a terrific organization that does vital work for the UK's Military Veterans and their families. I had to tap out early with an injury, but these folks, this incredible team has been grinding it out. So do me a favor, visit their site@www.sfcbf.org. that's sfcbf.org. you'll find details of the trek and you'll find a link to donate to the fund. Take two minutes and donate what you can. Collectively, it all makes a tremendous difference. Alright, let's get briefed. We'll start things off with the U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, taking the fight to one of the world's most dangerous criminal gangs. ICE agents stormed a known Trenta Aragua, or TDA, stronghold in Colorado, arresting suspects tied to violent crimes. We've got the details on the raid later in the show. Major Middle Eastern powers, including Saudi Arabia, are pushing back against President Trump's spry's proposal for the US to take control of Gaza. But not everyone is rejecting the idea. One key Israeli leader is calling it creative and interesting. Well, it is that. Plus the Pentagon is reportedly drawing up plans to pull all US troops out of Syria in as little as 30 days if the White House gives the order. And in the back of the brief, it appears that President Trump's tariff strategy, it's sort of a carrot and stick approach without the carrot, is bearing fruit as Mexico deploys 10,000 military troops to its northern border with the U.S. but first, today's PDB. U.S. immigration authorities are taking the gloves off in their fight against the Venezuelan gang Trenda Oagua, or TDA, group that has fueled some of the most brutal and violent migrant crimes across the country in recent years. In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Federal agents with U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement raided several apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado, that the gang had taken over last year and transformed into drug and prostitution dens. As a reminder the greater Denver area has long been a hotspot for illegal immigration due to the Capitol's status as a sanctuary city, and has been a high priority for President Trump's border czar Tom Homan, as he enacts the president's deportation agenda. ICE agents had reportedly spent days surveilling the properties before executing the raids, dubbed Operation Aurora. Well, there's a clever name. We're going to conduct an operation in Aurora. What should we call it? Among others, they were allegedly trying to nab an unnamed senior member of TDA who's become a powerful cocaine kingdom pin in the Denver area, according to sources who spoke with the Daily Mail. We don't know whether the suspect in question was apprehended, but sources on the ground said at least six men were seen being taken away in handcuffs at the Whispering Pines apartment complex. Now, Whispering Pines was one of at least three apartment complexes in the region that crews of gun wielding TDA members seized last year. As you may recall, members were caught on surveillance video last summer at one of the complexes, breaking into units and terrorizing residents before engaging in a shootout that severely injured at least one person. Officials with ICE said they carried out raids at three separate apartment complexes on Wednesday that served as strongholds for the gang's operations. In a statement on social media, ICE officials said 100 plus members of the violent gang TDA were targeted for arrest and detention in Aurora, Colorado today by ICE and its partners. The operation is part of the Trump administration's nationwide blitz against the Venezuelan gang, which the White House designated a foreign terrorist organization just late last month. The gang grabbed national attention last year after they overwhelmed the Aurora apartment complexes, which they quickly turned into drug and prostitution operations, pimping out migrant women and children. They would also charge residents at the complexes fees and violently assault those that pushed back. In one incident, members of the gang threw boiling water on a migrant woman who refused to pay. In another high profile incident back in December, 14 suspected members of the gang were arrested for kidnapping and torturing a migrant couple that lived at one of the properties. The complexes became major moneymakers for the gang and helped fuel their rapid expansion across America, where they've engaged in all manner of violent crimes. For example, last November in Tennessee, Interpol apprehended a high ranking TDA member linked to human trafficking and terrorism. Additionally, the brother of the migrant who murdered Augusta University student Lake and Riley last February was known to have ties to tda. The group has also increasingly partnered with Mexican cartels who aid in the smuggling of weapons and drugs and people. TDA became a focal point of the immigration debate during the 2024 election cycle, with critics of the Biden administration arguing that their lax border policies allowed the group to establish a foothold in America. President Trump promised to crack down on the group as soon as he returned office. In an update provided by the White House on Wednesday, officials said that between January 21st and February 3rd, ICE agents have apprehended nearly 200 members of TDA who've been living in the US illegally. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said in a statement, quote, president Trump told the American people he'd arrest and deport members of the brutal TDA gang, and he's doing just that. Illegal immigrant criminal gangs like TDA will no longer be able to terrorize American communities under President Trump's leadership, end quote. The gang members are being deported straight back to Venezuela, whose leaders have already agreed to accept repatriation flights from the U.S. the TDA members are among the roughly 7,000 criminal migrants that U.S. authorities have arrested since Trump's return to office. Alright, coming up after the break, Middle Eastern powers reject Trump's Gaza proposal, and the Pentagon is drafting plans to pull US troops out of Syria in as little as 30 days. I'll be right back.
- [07:25]
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- [07:56]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to the PDB. The fallout over President Trump's comments on Gaza continues as major Middle Eastern powers push back against his surprise proposal for the US to take control of the enclave, relocate its Palestinian population, and rebuild the Gaza Strip into a sort of Mediterranean Riviera. It's shocking that Arab nations would find fault with that idea. And by that I mean it's absolutely not shocking in any way. Saudi Arabia, a country that the US has courted for a normalization deal with Israel, swiftly condemned the plan on Wednesday, reaffirming its unwavering support for Palestinian statehood and warning that any attempt to displace Palestinians from the Strip is non negotiable. Riyadh made clear that normalization with Israel remains impossible without an independent Palestinian state. Turkey, a frequent critic, of course, of Israel's action in Gaza, didn't mince words. The country's foreign minister condemned Trump's proposal, labeling it absurd, stressing that any effort to remove Palestinians from Gaza is unacceptable. Across the Arab world, opposition to the plan is near universal. Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Palestinian leaders have all rejected the idea, citing not only ethical concerns but also the security risks and regional instability that it would unleash. Many of these nations, despite forging diplomatic ties with Israel in recent years, remain deeply tied to the Palestinian cause, which continues to be a galvanizing issue across the region. Now, while deeply tied to the Palestinian cause, at least as a public narrative, the Arab states have little to no interest in reality in taking in large numbers of Palestinian refugees. Trump's comments come at a delicate moment. Israel and Hamas are navigating a fragile six week ceasefire as mediators push for a longer term resolution. Meanwhile, the US and Israel are weighing military options to curb Iran's advancing nuclear program, while Trump has sought to pull Saudi Arabia into a regional alliance against the mullahs. Unveiling his proposal at a White House press conference late on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump declared that the US Would own Gaza by leveling the war torn strip to spearhead reconstruction and create economic opportunities that would take 10 to 15 years. However, the commander in chief left key questions unanswered how the US intends to convince Palestinians to surrender the territory, whether Israel would ultimately claim sovereignty or what entity would govern Gaza post redevelopment. While Trump ruled out Israeli settlements in Gaza, he remained vague on what political structure would follow. Israeli reactions have been mixed. Hardline leaders who've long advocated for what they call voluntary migration from Gaza praised Trump's remarks and are now exploring ways to act on them. Opposition leader Benny Gantz welcomed Trump's words as a sign of continued US Support for Israel, calling the proposal, quote, creative, original and interesting. But Gantz was careful to emphasize that Israel's immediate focus must remain on securing the release of hostages still held in Gaza and ensuring negotiations with Hamas are not disrupted. Even within Netanyahu's coalition, skepticism lingers over the feasibility of such a plan. The Iran backed terror proxy, for its part, dismissed Trump's comments outright, stating that Gaza is not a common land for any party to decide to control. As regional leaders grapple with Trump's proposal, the prime minister of the U S backed Palestinian Authority met with Egyptian officials in Cairo Wednesday to discuss Gaza's reconstruction. Additionally, the president of the Palestinian Authority held talks with Jordan's king, with both leaders reaffirming their rejection of forced displacement and their commitment to Palestinian statehood. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the west bank and coordinates security with Israel, has positioned itself as a potential governing body for post war Gaza, an idea previously endorsed by the Biden administration. Trump, undeterred by the backlash, invited Jordan's king and Egypt's president to the White House for talks later this month, a move that could further shape the diplomatic response to his plan. Whether Trump's proposal gains traction remains to be seen, but if nothing else, it has injected fresh uncertainty into an already volatile situation, forcing Arab governments to contemplate a postwar vision for Gaza even as they struggle to agree on who should govern the enclave. Okay, Staying in the Middle east the Defense Department is actively drafting contingency plans for a full withdrawal of US Troops from Syria, an operation that could be executed in as little as 30 days if President Trump issues the order, according to an exclusive report from NBC News. The potential pullout follows recent deliberations between Trump and top officials. Two defense officials say the White House has tasked military planners with drafting timelines for withdrawal, with proposals ranging from 30, 60 or 90 days. Trump's newly appointed national security adviser, Mike Waltz, traveled to Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, on Friday for high level meetings on Middle east security. However, a White House official insisted that Syria was not on Waltz's agenda. The official added that broader discussions on regional security are ongoing, particularly in light of Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting at the White House on Tuesday and the upcoming visit from Jordan's king. When asked last Thursday about reports claiming that he'd informed Israel of an imminent US Departure from Syria, Trump dismissed the notion outright. The commander in chief stated, I don't know who said that, but we'll make a determination on that, before adding, we're not getting involved in Syria. Syria is its own mess, he said. They don't need us involved. End quote. Now, this isn't the first time that Trump has attempted to disengage from Syria. In late 2019, during his first administration, Trump ordered the then Defense secretary James Mattis to orchestrate a full withdrawal. Mattis at the time strongly opposed the decision, ultimately resigning in protest. While Trump did reduce troop numbers at the time, the US Military presence in Syria continued, with forces later redeployed to the region. As of December, the Pentagon reported that U.S. troop levels in Syria stood at roughly 2,000. That's more than double the publicly acknowledged figure of 900 in previous years. A Pentagon spokesperson clarified that of those, 1,100 were classified as temporary rotational forces typically deployed for 30 to 90 days, while 900 made up the core force with year long assignments. The stated US mission in Syria is to counter the remnants of the Islamic State and to support local allies, chiefly the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces. Known as sdf. It's a coalition of militias and rebel groups. It's important to note the SDF plays a critical role in maintaining security at makeshift refugee camps housing over 50,000 people and also guarding more than two dozen detention facilities holding approximately 9,000 ISIS fighters. Pentagon officials warn that a sudden U.S. withdrawal could severely undermine these operations. Without American support, the SDF may be forced to shift its focus toward other military priorities, potentially abandoning security at the camps and prisons. And that's a scenario that could lead to the mass release of the ISIS detainees. Alright, coming up in the back of the Brief, the Mexican government has initiated Operativo Frontiera norte that's sending 10,000 troops to Juarez and other border cities. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, Mexico is unleashing their military along their northern border with the US following through on an agreement struck Monday between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Trump. On Tuesday, Mexican authorities announced the deployment of some 10,000 military troops to various towns and cities along the border as part of a mission dubbed Operativo Frontera Norte or Operation Northern Border. Their primary directive is to curb drug trafficking into the US Particularly the deadly opioid fentanyl, which continues to fuel rampant addiction and deaths across the U.S. that's according to a report from the El Paso Times. It was an attention grabbing show of force by Mexican authorities with their Secretary of National Defense posting videos showing hundreds of troops lined up to board military transport planes and convoys of army trucks departing from military bases in Mexico City in the pre dawn darkness on Tuesday. They'll reportedly be spread out across notable cartel hotspots like Tijuana, Mexicali and Juarez. In exchange, the Mexican government has requested that the US do more to curb the trafficking of firearms from the US To Mexico. The action comes after a brief diplomatic tiff between Mexico and the US over trade tariffs. As we've been tracking here on the PDB. Trump announced 25% tariffs on Mexican imports on Saturday that were set to take effect by the end of Monday, arguing that they were needed to encourage Mexico to do more to counter fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration. Sheinbaum had previously threatened to retaliate with tariffs on US Goods, creating fears of a looming trade war. But Sheinbaum and Trump were able to settle the dispute during a phone call on Monday after Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 Mexican soldiers to the border. In turn, Trump agreed to delay the imposition of those tariffs for at least a month. Still, some observers are calling the operation an example of performative foreign policy and question just how much of a material impact it will have on drug trafficking and migrant smuggling. They note that Mexico already had at least 9,000 army and national Guard troops stationed along the northern border in the first half of 2024, and it had little impact on the illicit trade of Mexico's violent cartels. In 2021. Mexico also deployed 10,000 troops to border cities under an agreement with former President Biden to reduce migration, though as we know, some 8 million illegal migrants would subsequently pour across the border in the years that followed. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Thursday 6th February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and as all the cool kids know, to listen to the show ad free. Well, it's simple. Become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB premium.com see how simple that is. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, from the road, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.