← The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 21st, 2025: REVEALED: CIA Directing Narco-Boat Strikes Off Venezuela & Europe Endorses Trump’s Ceasefire Plan
00:14:37
Loading summary
Transcript8 lines
- [00:00]
A
Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets. Well, schedule a free consultation with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to 989898. Foreign 21 October welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, America's secret war at sea. Sources say it's the CIA, not the Pentagon, calling the shots in the Caribbean drug boat campaign. I'll have those details later in the show. Europe signals support for President Trump's renewed ceasefire push in Ukraine, saying that the current battle lines must be the starting point for any peace talks. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. This week we learned that the US Navy has destroyed yet another suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean. It's the seventh such strike since early September. According to the War Department. Formerly known as the Department of Defense, the Navy carried out what it called a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel allegedly affiliated with Colombia's leftist guerrilla group, the Ejacito de Liberacion Nacional, or the eln. Now, the strike occurred in international waters under the jurisdiction of U.S. southern Command. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that the operation was part of what he described as America's expanding counter narco terrorism campaign. For some context, the ELN has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. state Department since 1997. It's known for smuggling narcotics, weapons and gold across Latin America, and for decades it has received protection from Venezuela's security forces. At this point in the campaign, at least 32 people have been killed in strikes off the coast of Venezuela. Now, so far, the only things that the public knows about the strikes is what they see from grainy clips of boats exploding at sea, videos posted online by the Pentagon or by President Trump himself. The administration has said all seven strikes have been, quote, decisive hits against narco terrorist networks, though no independent confirmation has been released. What hasn't been known about these strikes until now is how the targets are being found and selected. According to an exclusive investigation from the Guardian, the US Military may be the one pulling the trigger and but it's a CIA that's choosing who to fire on. Sources familiar with the operation say the agency is providing the real time intelligence behind These strikes, including satellite surveillance and signal intercepts used to identify which boats are likely carrying drugs from Venezuela or Colombia. Those streams of data are then used to track their routes and make recommendations on which vessels to target. One of the sources put it plainly saying, quote, they are the most important part of it. In other words, these attacks are being run on CIA intelligence, not DEA or Coast Guard intel, which in the past handled maritime interdiction operations. And that marks a major shift. The old system was built for arrests, seizures, and evidence. The new system is built for speed and secrecy. The Guardian reports that the CIA's intelligence isn't collected or stored in a way that would hold up in court. It's not about legal proof. It's about. It's about rapid targeting. And that means much more of the information used to justify these strikes will likely remain classified. Now, the CIA's involvement helps explain something that we reported last week, that the Trump administration has secretly authorized the agency to conduct covert action inside Venezuela. The exact scope of that directive, of course, remains classified. But intelligence sources have told multiple outlets that it allows the CIA to to operate more aggressively against the Maduro regime and its allied cartels. Taken together, these developments point to something larger. The quiet militarization of America's war on drugs, one that's now being run through the lens of COVID intelligence and military operations rather than law enforcement. All right, coming up next, European capitals throw cautious support behind President Trump's latest Ukraine peace Push. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. You know, before Ridge wallets came along, I carried this giant, worn out leather brick of a wallet in my back pocket. You know what I'm talking about. It was bulky, uneven, and honestly, a pain, literally. So switching to Ridge completely changed the game. Their wallets are slim, they're modern and tough enough to hold up to 12 cards, plus cash, in case anybody still carries cash. The wallets are made from premium materials like aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. They've got over 50 colors and styles, which means you can actually pick one that fits your personality. Ridge wallets also come with RFID blocking technology. That's a good deal for peace of mind and also a lifetime warranty also for peace of mind. So as far as I'm concerned, it's the last wallet I intend to buy. And over 100,000. 5 star reviews back it up. For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off at Ridge. That's R, I, D, G E, in case you were wondering. By using code PDB at checkout. Just head over to ridge.com and use code PDB and you're all set. And after your purchase, well, they'll ask you what you heard about them. So do me a favor. Tell them the PDB sent you. Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment to talk about your personal finances. Now, as you may have noticed, the cost of everything is still too high, and many folks have been relying on credit cards to cover essentials. So if that debt is piling up for you, well, you're not alone. Americans collectively owe, get this, over $1 trillion in credit card debt. Now, you might have considered reaching out to my friends already at American Financing, but perhaps you hesitated because you don't want to give up your low mortgage rate. Well, there's good news. American Financing has created what they call the Smart Equity Loan. It's a solution designed to help you take control of your finances without touching your current mortgage. Unlike a heloc, which can have varied interest rates, the Smart Equity Loan offers a fixed rate that means one predictable monthly payment, giving you peace of mind. Now, this loan allows you to leverage the equity in your home to pay off high interest debt, to free up your cash flow and keep your existing low mortgage rate intact. It only takes 10 minutes to get started with no upfront or hidden fees, and that's important. Call American Financing today and start saving now. The number 866-885-1881. Again, that's 866-885-1881. Or just visit american financing.net PDB.
- [07:02]
B
When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn more@WhatsApp.com Limu Emu and Doug, Here.
- [07:31]
C
We have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.
- [07:45]
A
Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.
- [07:48]
C
Cut the camera.
- [07:49]
A
They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty.
- [07:53]
B
Liberty Liberty, Liberty Savings.
- [07:55]
A
Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. European leaders are throwing their weight behind President Trump's renewed ceasefire push in Ukraine, calling for peace along existing battle lines even as confusion swirls over what exactly Those lines mean the show of European backing today comes as the White House presses pause on plans for a second Trump and Putin summit. Senior Trump officials confirm that preparations for the meeting have been shelved, at least for now, acknowledging that what many already suspected, the gap between Moscow and Kyiv, of course, is still far too wide to bridge. European diplomats aren't reading the latest development as a setback. No. After weeks of tension and mixed messages from Moscow, they see the pause as a moment to regroup, keeping Trump's ceasefire push alive while sidestepping another potential clash with the Kremlin. Still, Europe's biggest powers, London, Paris, Berlin are closing ranks behind Trump's call for a ceasefire along current front lines. They say it's the only way to stop the bloodshed, even if no one can quite agree on where those lines actually fall. A joint statement released Monday read, quote, we strongly support President Trump's position that the fighting should stop immediately and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. It's a moment of unity and an acknowledgment that Trump's plan may be the last viable off ramp left to achieve some sort of peace. Still, the mood in European capitals is cautious. EU officials will worry that Trump could meet with Putin again without securing meaningful concessions, much like their last summit in August, when the Russian leader, of course, brushed off a similar ceasefire plea. And behind the scenes, the diplomacy has been anything but smooth. As we discussed yesterday, Trump's White House talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky last week were described by those close to the meeting as, quote, tense and tough. Now, according to reports from Reuters and other sources, we have more details. Trump allegedly pressed Zelensky to accept Russian demands, chief among them, Moscow's insistence that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbass. The Financial Times added that Trump, dismissing battlefield maps, told Zelensky, quote, if Putin wants it, he will destroy you, end quote. But it was Zelensky who painted last week's meeting with Trump as a success because it ended with Trump publicly backing a ceasefire at the present lines. Trump denies that report, calling it fiction. He told reporters, quote, we never discussed surrendering territory. The Ukrainian leader later seemed to support that version of events. Anybody else confused over all this, saying it was instead Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, who merely conveyed Moscow's position. Zelensky told reporters, quote, we understand that Mr. Witkoff is conveying what Russia means. I made it clear to him that there are some misleading impressions. Now those misleading impressions are fueling the confusion. The Donbass, that's the Long contested regions of Donetsk and Luhansk apparently has once again become the fault line. Moscow insists Ukraine must withdraw completely from both areas, which Russia formally claimed in its constitution after an illegal 2022 referendum. Oh, we'll just take some of that land, please. Zelensky pushed back on that demand, saying, quote, if tomorrow Putin added something else to their constitution, which, well, we need to withdraw again, end quote. And he makes a very good point. It's the central paradox of Trump's peace plan. The battlefield isn't just frozen, it's blurred. And Trump's challenge now is to turn that gray zone into a deal both sides could live with. Trump told reporters, quote, we think that what they should do is just stop the lines where they are, the battle lines, go home, stop killing, and be done, end quote. Now, to be fair, it's relatively easy for any third party, whether the U.S. or any other country, to just say, Ukraine should simply give up at least a fifth of its territory. Yeah, you go ahead and do that. When pressed about the Donbass, he added, quote, let it be cut the way it is. It's cut up right now. They can negotiate something later on down the line. Urging first an end to the gunfire, the Kremlin, unsurprisingly, rejected that clarity. Putin's mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov, said, quote, russia's stance doesn't change, signaling that Moscow still wants more than a frozen front. Of course they do. They want the entire Donbass. Zelensky, meanwhile, admitted Kyiv remains uncertain about the Kremlin's plans for its other occupied territories, which remain in limbo. So as Trump's ceasefire plan does appear to have Europe's backing, but doesn't appear to be going anywhere in the moment, Putin continues to push back on Western demands and the fighting continues. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday 21st October. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and to listen to the show ad free. You can do that, and you can do it very simply. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Hey, Mike Baker here with a great offer from our friends over at Birch Gold Group. Now you can buy gold and get free silver, right? What's not to like about that? That's right. For every $5,000 purchased from Birch Gold Group this month in advance of veterans day, they'll send you a free patriotic silver round that commemorates the Gadsden and American flags. Look, Gold is up over 40% since the beginning of this year, hitting record highs. And Birch Gold can help you diversify into gold by converting an existing IRA or 401k into a tax sheltered IRA in physical gold. Plus, they'll send you free silver honoring our veterans on qualifying purchases. And if you're current or former military, Birchgold has a special offer just for you. They're waiving custodial fees for the first year on investments of any amount with an A rating. With the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers, many of whom are PDB listeners, I encourage you to talk with Birchgold about diversifying your savings into gold. Text PDB to the number 989-898 for a free information kit and to claim your eligibility for free Silver with a qualifying purchase before the end of the month. Again, that's PDB to 989-898.