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The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 16th, 2025: US Navy Smokes Another Venezuelan Narco-Boat & IDF Begins Gaza City Ground Invasion
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Mike Baker
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Unknown Foreign Speaker
Foreign.
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Mike Baker
16Th September, halfway through the month. 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, the U. S. Military strikes a second Venezuelan boat accused of carrying narcotics toward American shores. We'll have those details later in the show. Israel launches its largest ground assault of the war with Hamas, sending tens of thousands of troops into Gaza City. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We start today with another Venezuelan narco vessel now at the bottom of the Caribbean. As President Trump's campaign against cartels notched its second strike on Monday, this time destroying a boat reportedly loaded with cocaine and fentanyl that was bound for American shores. The president released a video on Truth Social of what he called a kinetic strike, underscoring that he had personally ordered the attack. The vessel was hid in international waters under US Southern Command's watch, and Trump said three traffickers were killed. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, quote, all you have to do is look at the cargo. It was spattered all over the ocean. Big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place. We, we know what time they're leaving, when they are leaving. Which, okay, admittedly it's a little redundant, what they had and all the other things you'd like to have, end quote. He added that no US Forces were harmed. On Truth Social, Trump ratcheted up his message, posting in all caps, which means he's serious. Be warned, if you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you, end quote. He went on to blast cartels is extraordinarily violent, Accused them of, quote, wreaking devastating consequences on American communities for decades, killing millions of American citizens. No longer also in caps, end quote. As we discussed here on the PDB earlier this month, the first strike came on 2 September when US forces sank what was described as a Trent Aragua or TDA vessel, killing 11 traffickers. That action signaled a break with past doctrine, treating cartels that not as smugglers to be arrested, but as terrorists to be targeted and destroyed. For decades, US Coast Guard interdictions relied on boarding vessels firing warning shots and arrests. Now the rules have changed. No warnings, no boardings, no arrests. Just military targeting and termination. That shift was made possible by President Trump's executive decision earlier this year to designate several Latin American cartels as as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. TDA most notably was formally labeled a FTO in February, unlocking Pentagon authorities that go far beyond traditional Coast Guard operations and interdictions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been equally blunt. On a visit to Ecuador earlier this month, he said the U.S. and quote, Cooperative governments of Latin America would identify traffickers and, quote, blow them up if that's what it takes, end quote. And in an interview this week with Fox News, while Lana visited Jerusalem, Rubio reinforced that message, saying cartels have already factored interceptions into their business models. He stated, quote, they don't mind losing 2% or 3% of their drug shipments. Rubio added, what needs to start happening is some of these boats need to be not just intercepted, but stopped. End quote. And so the administration's argument is relatively simple. Venezuelan cartels are funneling billions in narcotics into the US Fueling addiction and violence. With two strikes already this month, the White House is leaving no doubt that this is not a one off, but the opening phase of an ongoing campaign to combat narco terrorism across the Caribbean. All right, coming up next, tanks, artillery, and waves of reservists are now storming into Gaza City as Israel begins a massive ground operation designed to finish off Hamas. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, I've got a tip for you for staying fresh. That's important, right? And I'm a bit of a hygiene expert, so here's what you got to do. You've got to check out Mando. That's M A n D o Mando. That's right. We're talking about Mando deodorant. From your pits to everywhere else. Frankly, one swipe of Mando and you're good to go. And now it's not your typical deodorant. It's clinical strength to two times better at controlling sweat and odor for 72 hours. Think about that. 100 of study participants experienced all day odor protection, that's 100%. Yeah, it can't get any better than that. The stuff does the job. Mando uses only premium ingredients like gentle mandelic acid. No more worrying about sweat stains. And seriously, nobody wants to worry about sweat stains. Mando starter pack is perfect for new customers. It comes with a solid stick deodorant cream tube deodorant two free products of your choice like mini body wash and deodorant wipes and free shipping. Yes, I did say free shipping. As a special offer for our PDB listeners, new customers get 20 off site wide with our exclusive code. Just use code PDB@shopmando.com for 20 off site wide plus free shipping. Mando's got you covered with deodorant plus sweat control. Say goodbye to sweat stains and hello to long lasting freshness. That's shopmando.com and when you stop by their site tell them the PDB sent you. Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment to talk about protecting your hard earned assets. That's an important topic now. When you hear about inflation worries or maybe you look around, you see that the US national debt is somewhere around $37 trillion, or you just see all the global uncertainty, do you ever think to yourself maybe now would be a good time to buy some gold? 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Take advantage of a rebate of up to $10,000 as a first time buyer when you act before the 30th of September. Text PDB to 989-898 again claim your eligibility and get your free information kit. Text PDB to 989-898 hey Mike Baker here. I tell you what, let's talk about plants. Well, let's talk about plants and trees. Well also bushes. Don't forget the bushes. And let's not forget shrubs either. Now did you know that Fast Growing Trees Fast Growing Trees is the biggest online nursery in the US with thousands of different plants. And get this over 2 million happy customers. They have all the plants your yard needs. Fruit trees, privacy trees, flowering trees, shrubs and and really so much more. Whatever plants you're interested in, Fast Growing Trees has you covered to get your dream yard delivered directly to your door. Think about the time that saves you. This is a great company and again, an amazing time saver. 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Mike Baker
Applying welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Israel has launched what it's calling the main phase of its ground offensive in Gaza City. Overnight, Israeli forces pushed deep into the urban center, supported by heavy artillery and airstrikes. Iron Eyewitnesses describe relentless bombardment as armored units maneuvered towards the city's heart. Defense Minister Israel Katz summed it up bluntly, saying, quote, gaza is burning. We will not relent or turn back until the mission is complete. End quote. Now, this is not a limited raid. Israel has committed multiple combat divisions, tens of thousands of soldiers backed by tanks, armored vehicles and artillery batteries. That scale of mobilization for this new phase of the offensive shows just how significant this campaign is for Israel's leadership. In total, around 130,000 reservists have been called up, with about 80% of them reporting for duty. The military says the current operation is expected to last months, though commanders admit the timeline is uncertain. That timeline is going to be largely dependent on what remains of Hamas's fighting force. @ the start of the war, Hamas could field about 24,000 trained fighters. Israeli officials now claim they've killed roughly 22,000 of them. If accurate that would leave only a few thousand experienced fighters, supplemented by younger, less trained recruits. These irregulars can still pose a serious threat, though, of course, using guerrilla style tactics and ambushes. In the dense populated streets of Gaza, urban warfare is grueling. It's complex and it's incredibly challenging. Every building can be fortified. Every alleyway presents potential danger. Snipers, ambushes, booby traps, IEDs, and an enemy that knows the turf far better. For Israel, seizing and holding ground in Gaza City means not only overwhelming firepower, but also maintaining a sustained presence against constant hit and run attacks. Now, the other side of the story is the scale of civilian displacement, which will undoubtedly create issues of its own. Roughly 600,000 people have already fled Gaza City since the start of the war, with hundreds of thousands more now under evacuation orders. Israel says it's created humanitarian zones in the south with tents and food shipments, water lines and field hospitals in operation. At the same time, the IDF accuses Hamas of of trying to prevent civilians from leaving in order to use them as human shields. For Israel's leadership, this offensive is meant to be decisive, the culmination of a lengthy campaign to destroy Hamas's ability to wage war. It's an all in gamble, one that relies on overwhelming military superiority and the political backing of the United States. The outcome, though, is far from certain. Whether Israel achieves its goals relatively swiftly or faces a drawn out urban battle, or ignites new conflict across the region. Well, the truth is, nobody knows how this will play out. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday 16th September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@bdbhefirsttv.com and to listen to the show ad free. Well, you know you can do that. You can do it relatively easily. 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. Let me take a moment to talk Personal finances. Right, that's. That's an important subject, obviously. Now the cost of everything, as you may have noticed, is still a bit out of control. And many folks are relying on credit cards to cover some of the essentials, like gas bills or utility bills or grocery bills. You know what I'm talking about. If that debt is piling up for you, well guaranteed you're not alone. Americans collectively owe. Get this, Americans collectively owe over $1 trillion in credit card debt. So here's the thing. By now you may have considered reaching out to my friends over at American Financing and. But you hesitated because you don't want to give up your low mortgage rate. Well, there's good news for you. They've created what they're calling 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. 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. 866-885-1881. Again, that number, 866-885-1881. Or just visit American Financing.net.