The President's Daily Brief – Afternoon Bulletin

Episode: December 11, 2025

Host: Mike Baker (Former CIA Operations Officer)
Podcast: The First TV

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike Baker delivers a concise but in-depth briefing on two pressing issues:

1. The U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker—analyzing the solid legal footing behind the dramatic maritime operation, despite Venezuela’s condemnation.
2. Lawsuits targeting major U.S. chip manufacturers—exploring allegations that American-made chips are ending up in Russian weapons used against Ukraine.

Baker explains complex international law and export-control challenges, offering listeners vital context behind the headlines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Seizure of the Venezuelan Oil Tanker ("The Skipper")

[00:46-06:59]

• Immediate Context

  • The vessel, known as the Skipper, was seized off Venezuela’s coast.
  • Venezuela condemned the seizure as an act of piracy:

    "…Caracas condemned the seizure as a, quote, act of piracy and a grave international crime…”
    — Mike Baker [01:28]

  • About half the cargo reportedly belonged to a Cuban state oil importer, underscoring the economic intertwinement between Venezuela and Cuba.

• Host’s Tone & Commentary

  • Baker injects skepticism toward Venezuela’s outrage, referencing their own contentious actions:

    "…as opposed to, I don’t know, stealing a national election or aiding and abetting narco traffickers or imprisoning opposition leaders or squashing any dissent. You know, that sort of thing.”
    — Mike Baker [01:36]

• Legal Justification & U.S. Authority

  • The Skipper is part of Iran’s "shadow fleet," designed to evade sanctions and obfuscate operations through concealed routes, changing flags, and forged ownership records.

  • The ship was sanctioned in November 2022 under the Biden administration as part of an international oil smuggling operation supporting Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    "…the vessel …was designated as part of a much larger international oil smuggling network that facilitated shipments and generated revenue for Hezbollah and for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and their Quds Force.”
    — Mike Baker [03:15]

  • Detailed background on how such networks operate:

    “Treasury went on to describe how the network operated to conceal the Iranian origins of the shipments and exporting it around the world in support of Hezbollah and the IRGC Quds Force using layers of shell companies incorporated in places like the Marshall Islands, Mauritius and Singapore.”
    — Mike Baker [03:51]

  • Legal Mechanisms:

    • The seizure was based on U.S. sanctions law and maritime seizure statutes.
    • U.S. law authorizes the targeting and seizure of assets/materially supporting sanctioned terrorist organizations.
    • Operations can lawfully occur in international waters, despite Venezuelan (and Iranian) protests.
    • The principle of in rem jurisdiction allows the U.S. to proceed legally against the vessel itself.

    "…vessels involved in sanctions, evasion, terrorism financing, or illicit smuggling can be seized through what's known as in rem jurisdiction. That means the US Government brings a case against the vessel itself, regardless of where the ship’s beneficial owners might be.”
    — Mike Baker [05:39]

  • Memorable Moment:

    • The host wryly points out Iran’s own hypocrisy:

      "…the Iranian regime seized a legitimate non sanctioned oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Apparently, the mullahs didn’t consider that to be a violation of international law. But again, I digress.”
      — Mike Baker [05:10]

• Conclusion on Legal Standing & Policy

  • Baker emphasizes that, regardless of one’s stance on the policy, the legal grounds are robust:

    "…the legal basis is not ambiguous. The ship was sanctioned. Its network was sanctioned. Its operators were sanctioned. And under US law, that opens the door for the kind of operation that we saw in that dramatic video. US Agents fast roping onto the deck of a vessel that Washington argues should never have been operating in the first place.”
    — Mike Baker [06:44]

2. U.S. Semiconductor Companies Sued for Chips in Russian Weapons

[11:18-14:42]

• The Lawsuits

  • Four Texas-based companies—Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Intel, and Mouser Electronics—are being sued for alleged gross negligence and wrongful death.
  • Plaintiffs: About 20 family members, including relatives of 14 people killed by Russian strikes in Ukraine.

• Core Allegation

  • Despite U.S. government efforts to arm Ukraine and sanction Russia, American chips are allegedly found in Russian missiles and Iranian drones striking Ukrainian targets.
  • Plaintiffs’ lawyers claim companies failed in their due diligence to prevent product diversion:

    "…the companies made no effort to restrict distribution other than to check the box to say that I’m not directly selling to a guy named Vladimir Putin…”
    — Mike Baker (quoting attorney Watts) [12:57]
    "…company executives, quote, know full well that these chips are getting there.”
    — Mike Baker [13:07]

• Global Interconnectedness & Sanctions Circumvention

  • The case reflects the challenges of modern supply chains and Russia’s resourcefulness in acquiring banned technology despite sanctions.

    "…demonstrates just how interconnected the world and global economies are and speaks to how resourceful the Russian war machine is in obtaining necessary materials despite sanctions.”
    — Mike Baker [12:40]

• Motivations of Plaintiffs

  • Plaintiffs primarily seek to halt the flow of U.S.-made electronics into Russian weaponry, not just monetary compensation.
  • At the heart of the suit is an accusation of “domestic corporate negligence”—the companies are accused of profiting at the expense of compliance with export control laws.

• Forensic Evidence

  • Extensive forensic analysis has linked company products directly to destroyed Russian missiles and drones, suggesting repeated patterns of diversion.

    “Forensic analysis of destroyed missiles and drones repeatedly identified components traceable to the defendant companies, suggesting a pattern of diversion that persisted despite two years of sanctions and export controls.”
    — Mike Baker [14:15]

• Current Legal Status

  • The companies have not yet been formally served, but this represents a major legal push to hold U.S. semiconductor manufacturers accountable for unintended uses of their products in wartime.

    "…the lawsuits map out the most detailed effort yet to draw a legal line between America's semiconductor industry and the weapons that are targeting Ukrainian cities.”
    — Mike Baker [14:24]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Venezuela’s Outrage:
  "As opposed to, I don't know, stealing a national election or aiding and abetting narco traffickers..."
  — Mike Baker [01:36]

• On the Legal Basis for Seizure:
  "The legal basis is not ambiguous. The ship was sanctioned. Its network was sanctioned. Its operators were sanctioned."
  — Mike Baker [06:44]

• On U.S. Chips in Russian Weapons:
  "Most of the damage we're seeing there now is being caused by missiles and drones guided to their targets by American chip technology that's being illegally exported into Russia."
  — Attorney Mikhail Watts (quoted) [12:48]

• On Negligence Accusations:
  "…domestic corporate negligence, accusing the firms of choosing profits over safeguards meant to prevent their products from being diverted into enemy weapon systems."
  — Mike Baker [13:47]

Important Timestamps

• 00:46 — Overview of oil tanker seizure, Venezuela’s initial reaction
• 03:15 — The Skipper’s background and connection to sanctioned networks
• 05:10 — Hypocrisy of Iranian seizure of other tankers
• 05:39 — Explanation of "in rem" jurisdiction
• 06:44 — Affirmation of clear legal basis for U.S. action
• 11:18 — Shift to lawsuits involving U.S. chips in Russian weaponry
• 12:40 — Commentary on global interconnectedness and sanctions
• 12:48 — Attorney Watts on damage caused by U.S. chips in Russian missiles
• 13:47 — Core legal accusation of domestic corporate negligence
• 14:24 — Summary of legal implications for U.S. semiconductor industry

Episode Tone & Host’s Approach

Mike Baker maintains a direct, analytical style, blending intelligence community insight with pragmatic skepticism—especially toward claims of victimhood from adversarial regimes. The tone is informative, often wry or sarcastic when discussing geopolitical hypocrisy or bureaucratic posturing.

Summary

In this bulletin, listeners receive a vital, clear-eyed brief on U.S. maritime law and global technology governance, central to understanding two major contemporary national security flashpoints. Baker’s insights clarify the solid legal standing behind the headline-grabbing seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker deeply tied to sanctioned Iranian and Hezbollah networks. In the second half, he unpacks the legal and moral complexities facing American tech companies accused of indirectly empowering Russian military aggression through uncontrolled chip exports.

For feedback or questions, listeners are encouraged to email Mike Baker at pdb@hefirsttv.com.