The President's Daily Brief: Afternoon Bulletin

Episode Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Mike Baker (Former CIA Operations Officer)
Duration: ~12 minutes (core content)

Episode Overview

On the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, host Mike Baker delivers an incisive briefing on two urgent global security stories:

1. The CIA’s Secret Cartel Hunters in Mexico – How America’s intelligence agencies are waging a covert campaign against powerful Mexican drug cartels, based on new Reuters revelations.
2. Trump’s Plan to Squeeze Russia – President Trump’s bold diplomatic push for the EU to impose harsh tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods, in a bid to further isolate Russia and disrupt its war economy.

I. The CIA’s Secret Cartel Hunters in Mexico

[00:35 – 08:40]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Reuters Exclusive:

  • Newly uncovered details about the CIA’s secret involvement in Mexico’s cartel wars.
  • Agency now employing its post-9/11 counterterrorism strategy—‘find, fix, finish’—to target cartel leadership.

• Case Study: Ovidio Guzmán López (El Chapo’s Son)

  • January 2023 Raid: Sinaloa operation led by Mexican army commandos—trained, equipped, and vetted by the CIA—resulted in Ovidio’s capture and extradition to the US.
    • “Helicopter gunships roared over rural Sinaloa as Mexican soldiers closed in on Ovidio Guzman Lopez... The operation was a major success.” (Mike Baker, 02:00)
  • 2019 Fiasco: A prior attempt to capture Ovidio saw the arresting CIA-backed unit surrounded by hundreds of cartel gunmen in Culiacán; Mexican president ordered Ovidio’s release to prevent mass civilian deaths.
    • “That fiasco showed the world just how powerful the cartels had become...” (Mike Baker, 03:20)

• How the CIA-Mexico Partnership Works

  • CIA provides advanced training, surveillance tech, funding, and polygraphing for select Mexican military units (at least two: one in Army, one in Navy).
  • These units are now among the country’s most trusted and skilled anti-cartel operatives.
  • In the US Embassy, CIA analysts have prestigious roles, sitting on the ambassador’s floor—above DEA and Homeland Security.

• The Strategic Challenge & Limits

  • Despite these high-profile captures, violence in Mexico remains high (~30,000 murders/year), while the US still suffers 50–75,000 opioid overdose deaths annually.
  • “Even with these tactical wins, the bigger picture remains grim.” (Mike Baker, 04:50)
  • Knocking off cartel leaders often fractures organizations, sparking more violence.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “Sicario is a good movie, but bad policy. Drugs are a consumption problem, not a production problem. We can't just kill our way out of this.” (Former CIA Officer to Reuters, cited by Mike Baker at 05:45)
  • Yet, as Baker wryly notes:
    • “Although, frankly, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a good faith effort.” (Mike Baker, 05:50)

• Political Context

  • Trump administration labeled several cartels as foreign terrorist organizations; threatened unilateral military strikes in Mexico.
  • New Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum promises more cooperation—but sets clear boundaries: “No US boots on the ground in Mexico.”
  • The CIA is still expanding its effort:
    • Launched a new counter-narcotics mission center
    • Redeployed counterterrorism veterans to Mexico
    • Increased drone surveillance over cartel territory

• Recent Operations & Ongoing Hunt

  • Hunt continues for Ivan Archibaldo Guzmán (another of El Chapo’s sons); nearly caught by Mexican commandos working with CIA, but escaped via tunnel—a family tradition.
  • “Like father, like son.” (Mike Baker, 08:15)

• Strategic Uncertainty

  • Impressive tactical wins, but real victory elusive; overdose deaths and gang violence persist.
  • True resolution involves more than raids: choking cartel financing, targeting chemical precursor shipments, pressuring corrupt Mexican state actors.

II. Trump Presses EU to Target China & India with Tariffs

[09:30 – 12:13]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Trump’s Bold Ask at EU Meeting

  • Trump personally asks EU to impose tariffs up to 100% on Chinese and Indian goods—aimed at pressuring Beijing and New Delhi to cut economic support for Russia during the Ukraine war.
    • “The message from the Oval Office has been clear. Punish China for bankrolling Russia. Punish India for buying the Kremlin's cheap oil, or watch the West's unified front crumble...” (Mike Baker, 10:08)

• EU’s Reluctance & Ongoing Negotiations

  • EU is unlikely to comply—such tariffs are not in its standard sanctions playbook.
  • EU instead focuses on its 19th sanctions package: adding more Russian entities, possibly a few Chinese firms, but wary of broader economic blowback.
  • EU has already sanctioned some Chinese and Indian entities but is careful not to rupture trade ties ahead of a free-trade deal with India and to avoid Chinese retaliation.

• US Sanctions & Potential Unilateral Action

  • The US has already imposed tariffs on Indian refined products made from Russian oil—showing willingness to act alone.
  • As of now, no specific timeline or detailed plan for further aggressive sanctions against Russia or secondary measures against China have been made public.

• EU Leadership Signals Some Flexibility

  • European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:
    • “We need more sanctions on Russia. We are particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster, the shadow fleet and third countries.” (Ursula von der Leyen, State of the Union—quoted at 11:30)
  • Despite moves to eliminate Russian fossil fuels by 2027, EU’s approach remains cautious to avoid economic disaster.

III. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Reuters is pulling back the curtain on a fight that most Americans didn’t even know was happening—a covert war just across the US Southern border.”
  (Mike Baker, 00:56)

• “Drugs are a consumption problem, not a production problem. We can't just kill our way out of this.”
  (Former CIA Officer to Reuters, cited by Mike Baker, 05:45)

• “Like father, like son.” (on El Chapo’s son escaping capture through a tunnel)
  (Mike Baker, 08:15)

• “Punish China for bankrolling Russia. Punish India for buying the Kremlin’s cheap oil, or watch the West’s unified front crumble and, with it, the leverage that comes from Washington and Brussels acting together.”
  (Mike Baker, 10:08)

• “We need more sanctions on Russia. We are particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster, the shadow fleet and third countries.”
  (Ursula von der Leyen, 11:30)

IV. Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Remembrance of 9/11: [00:35]
• Overview: CIA’s Secret Cartel Campaign: [00:56]
• Sinaloa Operation & El Chapo’s Son: [02:00 – 03:30]
• 2019 Culiacán Debacle: [03:20]
• CIA’s Ongoing Role & Partnership Structure: [04:00 – 05:00]
• Strategic Limits & Expert Critique: [04:50 – 05:50]
• Political Backdrop (Trump, Sheinbaum): [06:00 – 07:00]
• CIA Expansion, Ongoing Targets: [07:15 – 08:15]
• Trump’s Push for EU Tariffs: [09:30 – 10:20]
• EU Reluctance & Sanctions Plans: [10:20 – 11:00]
• US Unilateral Actions & EU Positioning: [11:00 – 12:13]

V. Summary Tone & Language

Mike Baker delivers the episode in a crisp, matter-of-fact, occasionally sardonic style, blending intelligence community jargon (“find, fix, finish”) with plain-English explanations and a dose of dark humor. The reporting is sober, direct, and avoids hyperbole, focused on actionable facts and realpolitik.

VI. Takeaway

This bulletin reveals the depth of US covert action against Mexican cartels—adapting war on terror tools to America’s southern neighbor—while also showing the limits of tactical victories in the fight against drugs and gang violence. On global geopolitics, it highlights Trump’s aggressive bid to leverage economic pressure not just on Moscow, but on its enablers in Beijing and New Delhi—a move the more cautious Europeans are unlikely to embrace wholeheartedly.

For further questions or feedback, contact Mike Baker at pdb@thefirsttv.com.