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The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 12th, 2025: ICE Launches Major Crackdown In Chicago & Trump Negotiates Belarus Prisoner Release
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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 the number 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or 401k into a gold IRA. Again, it's simple. Text PDB to 989898. Foreign It's Friday, the 12th of September. 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, despite opposition from local leaders, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a major offensive against criminal aliens in the city of Chicago. We'll have the latest details on Operation Midway Blitz later in the show. A deal brokered by the US Sees the release of dozens of political prisoners in Belarus. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We start today in the city of Chicago where this week the Department of Homeland Security DHS launched a major immigration enforcement operation called Operation Midway Blitz. The name honors Katie Abraham, a young Illinois woman killed earlier this year in a drunk driving crash caused by an illegal immigrant. According to DHS officials, the 30 day surge is designed to target what they're calling, quote, the worst of the worst criminal aliens with convictions for crimes including sexual assault, armed robbery, domestic violence and gang activity. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the message from Washington is clear. Quote, no city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we'll hunt you down, arrest you, don't deport you, and you will never return, end quote. Officials say that this is one of the largest coordinated immigration crackdowns that the Midwest has seen in years with hundreds of agents blanketing the city. ABC News wrote along as nearly 300 ICE and ATF agents swept through the city's Lawndale neighborhood, arresting suspected members of the Venezuelan based Trend Gang, or tda, on gun trafficking charges. Officials say the gang had been moving firearms through Chicago with links to drug and human trafficking networks. Fox News was also embedded with ICE teams documenting dramatic arrests. Among those taken into custody were a 24 year old immigrant from India convicted of rape, a Mexican national charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child family member, and another Mexican citizen arrested for domestic battery and dui. DHS has released mug shots of some of these individuals, calling them proof that sanctuary policies in Illinois have turned the Windy City into a magnet for violent offenders. Well, it really shouldn't be a mystery that if you're a criminal or have criminal intent, you might be drawn to a soft on crime sanctuary city. It's a logical thought. But predictably, the crackdown has sparked backlash from local and state officials, of course. Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker said the raids are, quote, putting fear in the hearts of residents, particularly in households with mixed immigration status. He argued the operation isn't about fighting crime, but about politics. Oh, really? Chicago's mayor Brandon Johnson said the city received, quote, no notice of the surge, warning that militarized immigration enforcement risks violating due process and could even ensnare U. S. Citizens. I should add that Brendan Johnson is officially the least popular mayor in America. Perhaps he thinks taking a stand against fighting crime will increase his popularity. Regardless, the Trump administration is pressing ahead. DHS says resources will remain surged in the city for weeks in coordination with Justice Department partners. Now, Chicago wasn't chosen at random. The city has long been one of the biggest hubs for cartel operations in the U.S. its central location, massive freight rail yards, interstate highway network and busy airports make it a perfect distribution point for narcotics flowing north from the border. For years, the Sinaloa cartel, the Jalisco New generation and increasingly trend of Aragua or TDA have used Chicago as a staging ground to move fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and meth across the country. In fact, Chicago's ties to the cartels go back decades. The city's crime commission once named Sinaloa cartel kingpin El Chapo Guzman public enemy number one, the first time anyone had been given that title. Since Al Capone. Federal law enforcement has called Chicago a command and control city for Mexican cartels. Local gangs often serve as retail distributors, giving international syndicates an easy way to flood the streets with drugs while keeping their top leadership insulated. In other words, if you want to strike at the logistical heart of cartel activity inside the U.S. chicago is a logical spot. All right, before we go to break, a quick reminder. This morning we launched a brand new podcast series called called the Day the World Almost Ended. It's exclusive for our PDB Premium subscribers. The series takes you back to those moments in history when the world was just one step away, one decision away from nuclear war, when a single decision could have ended life as we know it. The first episode is available now. It tells a story of a Soviet officer who in 1983 faced the unthinkable choice of whether to report what looked like an American missile strike or to trust his instincts and hold fire. His decision may well have saved hundreds of millions of lives. You can hear it right now exclusively@pdb premium.com. okay, coming up next, a large scale prisoner exchange involving Belarus. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, let me take a moment to talk personal finances. That's an important topic. The cost of everything you may have noticed is somewhat out of control. And many folks are relying on their credit cards right now to cover some of those essentials. Gas bills, utility bills, groceries. You know what I'm talking about. If that debt is piling up for you, well, you're not alone. Americans collectively owe over $1 trillion in credit card debt. So here's the thing. By now, you might have considered reaching out to my friends at American Financing, but you hesitated because you don't want to give up your your low mortgage rate. Well, there's good news. They've created the Smart Equity loan. It's a solution designed to help you take control of your finances without touching your current mortgage. Now, unlike a heloc, which can have varied interest rates, the Smart Equity loan from American Financing offers a fixed rate that means one predictable monthly payment. Giving you peace of mind. The loan allows you to leverage the equity in your home to pay off high interest debt, 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. Call American Financing today and start saving now. The number 866885 1881. That's 866-885-1881 or visit american financing.net PDB Mike Baker here. Now, when you hear about inflation worries or you you see that the national debt in the US is over $37 trillion, or you just thinking about the general state of the world, do you ever think to yourself maybe now would be a good time to buy some gold? Well, that would be a logical thought. You see, whether as a hedge against inflation or peace of mind during global instability, or just for sensible diversification, gold has always been viewed as a safe haven. And Birch Gold Group believes that every American should own physical gold. And so they've created something special until September 30th. If you're a first time buyer of gold, Birchgold is offering a rebate of up to $10,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases. To claim eligibility and start the process, just request an information kit. Now text PDB to 989-898 plus Birch Gold can help you roll an existing IRA or a 401k into an IRA in gold and you're still eligible for a rebate in free metals of up to $10,000. Find out why tens of thousands of happy customers trust Birch Gold and make right now the time to decide if gold is right for you and to take advantage of a rebate up to $10,000 when you buy before September 30th. Text PDB to 989-898, claim your eligibility and get your free information kit again. 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Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. We turn now to Eastern Europe, where Belarus has released 52 political prisoners in a deal with Washington. In its latest sign of a potential thaw between Washington and Minsk, a nation often described as one of Russia's closest allies and long considered a pariah in the West. For over three decades, President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron grip, crushing dissent and overseeing elections widely seen as rigged. In 2022, he allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine, drawing harsh sanctions, of course, from both the US and and Europe. But Lukashenko has also shown flashes of pragmatism when it comes to dealing with the West. He's occasionally released prisoners in the past as bargaining chips, and just last month he spoke directly with President Trump by phone. Trump hinted afterward that a face to face meeting with Lukashenko might even be on the horizon. This latest deal fits that pattern. Among the 52 freed were journalists, bloggers, party leaders, union organizers and 14 foreign nationals. Ihar Losik, a journalist with Radio Free Europe, was among them. But perhaps the most dramatic moment came from veteran dissident Mikolai Stovich. Instead of crossing the border into Lithuania, he stood in no man's land and tried to walk back into Belarus, refusing to be exiled. Belarusian border guards blocked him from re entering, leaving him stranded between the two countries. In a show of defiance, human rights groups say that nearly 1200 political prisoners remain inside Belarusian jails. So what did Lukashenko gain? Washington agreed to lift some sanctions on Bolivia, the state airline, and that means the company can once again purchase and repair airplane parts, including Boeing components. For Lukashenko, it's a meaningful concession. But critics warn it also creates a backdoor for Moscow. Belarus could resell those parts to Russia, where the aviation industry has been crippled by sanctions. The timing also raises eyebrows, as we've been reporting here on the pdb. A day earlier, Poland said Russian drones, some launched from Belarus, violated its airspace. NATO jets scrambled to shoot them down. And President Trump reacted on Truth Social with a brief, almost cryptic line quote, what's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go. End quote. But ultimately, President Trump can claim a diplomatic win with the release of dozens of prisoners, while Lukashenko gets sanctions relief and a shot at legitimacy. But the question hanging over all of this is whether Belarus is genuinely looking at the west or simply engaging in some Putin approved transaction. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon bulletin for Friday 12th September. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.com and of course, as you likely noticed, today is Friday. And that can only mean that a brand new episode of our much loved one, an almost beloved weekend show, the PDB Situation Report, has moved to the launchpad. The new episode airs tonight at 10pm on the first TV and as always, can be found on our juggernaut of a YouTube channel, at President's daily Brief and podcast platforms everywhere. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back over the weekend with the PDB Situation Report. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Foreign Baker here. Let me take a moment to talk about your health. Right. There's no more important subject than that. Now, by the time the Average person hits 60 years of age, did you know that many have lost and then regained several hundred pounds? Doctors call it weight cycling and half of Americans reportedly do it. 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