Democracy Now! Audio - Democracy Now! 2026-02-24 Tuesday

Episode Date: February 24, 2026

Headlines for February 24, 2026; A Warming Planet Makes Nor’easters & Other Storms More Intense: Climate Scientist Michael Mann; Aided by U.S. Intelligence, Mexican Army Kills Top Cartel Leader After Threat of Trump Intervention; War Crimes Prosecutor Reed Brody on Epstein Files, Duterte’s ICC Case & Ukraine War Anniversary

This is Democracy Now. So it may seem counterintuitive, but as we continue to warm up the planet with carbon pollution from fossil fuel burning, we are fueling stronger, more powerful and more dangerous winter storms. After this week's historic bomb cyclone blizzard, we look at the link between climate change, warming oceans, and stronger winter storms. We'll speak to climate scientist Michael Mann. Then to Mexico, where dozens of people have died after Mexican security forces killed the nation's most powerful drug lord. In this case, the U.S. government provided information and even issued an intelligence statement. But the entire operation from planning onwards is the responsibility of federal forces. In this case, the Ministry of National Defense.

We'll speak to Arizona State Professor Alexander Avina and the Pulitzer Prize. winning Reuters journalist Laura Gaudes-Diener, who's based in Mexico. Then to longtime war crimes prosecutor Reid Brody about law and accountability from the international criminal court's hearing on former Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte to the growing fallen from the Epstein files. One reason we're seeing all these Epstein-related arrests across Europe is that prosecutors and police are essentially independent. In the United States, of course, federal prosecutors and the FBI are only going to investigate the people who Donald Trump wants to see investigated.

All that and more coming up. Welcome to Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org, the War and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. And the United Kingdom authorities arrested, then released Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States. Over allegations, he'd passed confidential government information to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The London Metropolitan Police had started its investigation into Mandelson earlier this month and said it had arrested him, quote, on suspicion of misconduct and public office. Mandelson's arrest comes just days after former Prince Andrew was arrested for the same offense. Mandelson served as a government minister between 1997 and 2001, again from 2008 to 2010,

fired from his diplomatic post in September last year as more information about his relationship with Epstein was released. There are now growing calls for British Prime Minister Kier Starrmer to resign since Starrmer tapped Mandelson to be Britain's top U.S. envoy. This is Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badernach. This is the defining moment of Kirstarmer's premiership, watching. the man who he appointed to the highest position in our diplomatic service, getting arrested by police, I think is an image that's going to stay with all of us for many, many years to come. And when people think about Keir Stalmer and his premiership, they will see the arrest of Peter

Mandelson as the defining moment. Bard College has hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into communications between the college's longtime president, Leon Bauds. Botstein and the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The release of the Epstein files reveals Botstein traveled to Epstein's Island in 2012 and 2013. The barred president wrote to Epstein, quote, I greatly cherish this new friendship. I have real admiration for how you go about doing things. Peter Attia, a CBS News contributor and longevity influencer, has resigned from his post as his emails with the late

convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released to the public. Atiyah was recruited and hired by CBS's new editor-in-chief, Barry Weiss, in January, just days before the release of the Epstein files. And the emails Atiyah provided medical advice and arranged testing for Epstein. In an email sent to Epstein in June 2015, Atia wrote, quote, You know, the biggest problem with becoming friends with you, the life you lead is so outrageous and yet I can't tell a soul, he said. Other emails were far more graphic. In 2008, Epstein was released from a Florida state jail after serving a 13-month term for his conviction soliciting sex from a minor. An NPR investigation finds that Justice Department failed to release some of the Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor.

According to NPR, the additional files include 50 pages of FBI interviews and notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse when she was a minor. This comes despite Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was Trump's personal attorney, sending a letter to Congress earlier this month, claiming no records were withheld or redacted, quote, on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary, unquote. The U.S. military has blown up another boat in the Caribbean, killing at least three people. The U.S. Southern Command published a 20-second video clip of the strike Monday, showing a small boat suddenly exploding. Trump officials again provided no evidence that the boat or the people on board were involved with drug trafficking. This is at least the third such attack over the course of a week, bringing the death toll from U.S. boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific

to an estimated 150 people. Several legal and human rights experts have said the attacks amount to extrajudicial killings. In Mexico, schools in Chalisco and several other states remain closed as heavily armed Mexican security forces have flooded the streets following a series of reprisal attacks by cartel members in response to the killing of Mexican. Mexico's most wanted drug lord, Emessio Rebenozegra Sarvantes, also known as El Menchou. More than 70 people have died since Sunday's operation. The country remains in high alert.

Mexican President Claudia Schenbaum spoke from Mexico City Monday, refuting news the United States had aided the attempted capture. All operations are carried out by federal forces. is no U.S. participation in the operation. What there is, as we have said here several times, is a great deal of information sharing. The understanding with the United States is based primarily on the exchange of intelligence information. We'll have more on this story later in the broadcast. A former ICE attorney and training instructor who quit his job last week in protest has accused the federal agency of lying to Congress.

about having drastically slashed its training standards for new officers. During a forum Monday held by congressional Democrats, Ryan Schwank, called ISIS training program deficient, defective, and broken, as the agency has eliminated hundreds of hours of vital training courses, including on use of force, how to safely handle firearms, and protocols to detain immigrants. Ahead of the forum, Democrats unveiled internal documents, to Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal by DHS whistleblowers, detailing that new ICE recruits received nearly 250 fewer hours of training than before,

with the agency also shortening training programs to just 42 days. The revelations come as the Department of Homeland Security's rapidly expanding its hiring of new agents, which has raised alarm on the agency's eroding screening. and trading standards. Ryan Schwank's testimony comes just weeks after ICE director, Todd Lyons, testified in front of separate House and Senate committees claiming the agency had not reduced the, quote, mead of the training, unquote. This week's findings contradict that.

In related news, the only passenger in the car and a key witness in the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, the 23-year-old U.S. citizen, killed by an ICE agent in South Texas last year, reportedly died in a car crash this weekend. Joshua Orta had planned to speak up as the Trump administration lied about the circumstances of the fatal shooting. Palestinians in Gaza are observing the Holy Month of Ramadan amidst Israel's attacks and near total blockade on food and humanitarian aid.

Families have gathered across Gaza for, if, a meal at sunset to break the daily fast. This is Reida Abu Taima, speaking from a camp and Kahn Yunus for orphaned children. After the suffering that our children faced, this is the first Ramadan that we gather on one table after the ceasefire took place. The children are enjoying these atmospheres, especially at the orphanage camp. All of them gather and they have the same suffering. This is a joyful moment during Ramadan to celebrate with the children and give them support. cost of food has skyrocketed in Gaza due to Israel's restrictions and blockade.

An analysis by Al Jazeera found food prices in Gaza at times has spiked by more than 700 percent. In more related news, Israeli soldiers fired nearly a thousand bullets, at least eight of them at point-blank range, killing 15 Palestinian aid workers last year in a massacre in South Gaza. That's according to a joint investigation by the independent research groups, earshot and forensic architecture published Monday. Israel then tried to cover up the attack on the humanitarian aid convoy that included several workers with the Palestine Red Crescent Society and at least

one member of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees. President Trump blasted media reports about General Dan Kane, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warning him about the risks of attacking Iran. on truth social, President Trump wrote, quote, General Kane, like all of us, would like not to see war. But if a decision is made ongoing against Iran at a military level, it's his opinion that it will be something easily won, unquote. It comes as the Washington Post reports, General Kane warned the lack of critical munitions and support from regional allies would endanger U.S. troops as the U.S. munitions stockpile has been significantly depleted by support for Israel and Ukraine.

Axios is also reporting General Kane was, quote, all in on the Venezuela operation, but is now more cautious about Iran. Meanwhile, the Guardian's reporting President Trump is basing his decision to strike Iran on the advice provided by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, on whether Iran is serious about giving up its nuclear weapons program. The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to hold a third round of indirect talks in Geneva Thursday. Meanwhile, Iranian students are continuing their protests for a third consecutive day as anti-government demonstrations have spread to Tehran's Al-Zahra University. Students reportedly chanted death to the dictator referring to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamani. It comes over a month after Iranian authorities violently suppressed anti-government mass street demonstrations reportedly killing thousands. Four years ago today, Russia launched its full. scale invasion of Ukraine. It's since become the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.

Today, Russia controls just about a fifth of Ukraine's territory. The Center for Strategic and International Studies says Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths between February, 2022 and last December, while Ukraine suffered between half a million to 600,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths. This is Ukrainian President Volodemir Zelensky. And today, we must be just as determined and strong as we were when the invasion began. The threat hasn't become smaller. Yes, we are holding Russia back, but we have not yet guaranteed security.

and only together can we do this together in Europe? Yes, together with America. Federal Judge Aline Cannon has permanently barred the Justice Department from releasing Special Counsel Jack Smith's report into the classified documents case against President Trump. Judge Cannon was appointed by President Trump. In 2023, Special Counsel, Jack Smith, charged Trump with 40 counts of illegally retaining classified information and obstructing government efforts to retrieve the materials. Cannon later dismiss those charges in 2024.

Back in December, Smith testified before Congress in a closed-door deposition that his team has uncovered, quote, powerful evidence that showed Trump willfully retained highly classified, documents after he left office in January 2021, storing them at a social club, including in a bathroom and a ballroom where events and gatherings took place, unquote. President Trump is set to deliver his 26th State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress tonight. Some Democrats are planning to skip the address and hold a rally called the People's State of the Union on the National Mall instead. Ed. Senators Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Chris Murphy, Tina Smith, and Chris Van Hollen, and Congress

members Yasamine Ansari, Becca Ballant, Greg Casar, Veronica Escobar, Pramilla Jayaeepole, and Delia Ramirez, and Bonnie Watson Coleman are expected to join the rally. In a statement, Senator Murphy said, quote, these aren't normal times and showing up for this speech puts a veneer of legitimacy on the corruption and lawlessness that's defined President Trump's second term, unquote. It comes as the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, announced he's inviting the family of the Reverend Jesse Jackson to the state of the union address tonight. House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for Reverend Jackson to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol. The national president of the NAACP, Derek Johnson, said, quote,

Mike Johnson will defend a president who wants to unlawfully nationalize elections but won't authorize a civil rights legend to lie in honor. That tells you everything you need to know about Mike Johnson and his gross disregard for our Constitution and our democracy. And fallout from the BAFTA award ceremony in London is growing. That's Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. A BAFTA judge, filmmaker Jonte Richardson, has quit citing the organization's handling of a racist incident during Sunday's award ceremony. When Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for best visual effects, a Tourette syndrome campaigner shouted the N-word twice. The BBC failed to edit out the word from the broadcast, which aired two hours after the live show, while cutting the phrase

free Palestine from an acceptance speech by Akhenola Davies Jr., a British Nigerian filmmaker. Jonte Richardson wrote on LinkedIn, quote, after considerable soul searching, I feel compelled to withdraw from the BAFTA emerging talent judging panel. The organization's handling of the unfortunate Tourette's N-word incident last night at the awards was utterly unforgivable. I cannot and will not contribute my time, energy, and expertise to an organization's that's repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its black guests, members, and the black creative community, Jonte Richardson wrote. And those are some of the headlines.

This is Democracy Now.comocracyNow.org, the War and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman in New York, joined by Democracy Now is Juan Gonzalez and Chicago. Hi, Juan. Hi, Amy, and welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world. We begin today's show, looking at this. week's historic bomb cyclone blizzard that blanketed states with snow from Maryland to Massachusetts in Providence, Rhode Island, more than 37 inches of snow fell, setting a new record for the city. Climate scientists have long warned that climate change will cause more intense and more

destructive nor'easters. We're joined in Philadelphia by Michael Mann, presidential distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, Director of Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media. His most recent book, Science Under Siege, which he co-wrote with Dr. Peter Hotes. Last year, Professor Mann co-wrote a study titled The Intensification of the Strongest Nor'Easters. It was published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. I'm speaking to you from New York City, Professor Mann. Juan just left one of the last planes before the bomb cyclone from New York,

where our huge event was canceled for a 30th anniversary and went back to Chicago because here in New York, a state of emergency was declared in the city and in the state by both the mayor and the governor. They were talking about a life-threatening situation. No one was allowed to be on the streets yesterday until noon. Can you talk about what's happening, how this relates to climate change? Yeah, thanks, Amy. It's good to be with you. And here in Philly, we saw a fair amount of that snow as well.

We got more than a foot. This was a historic bomb cyclone, as we sometimes call them, a nor'easter, which has to do with the fact that these storms are so strong that in one sector of the storm, you actually get winds coming from the east, which is rare for a mid-latitude storm. Now, these storms, unlike most mid-latitude storms, these coastal storms, these nor'easters, feed on the heat of the oceans. Now, we don't think of the oceans as being that warm in the winter, but they're much warmer than the land, and they still contain a substantial amount of heat. And like a hurricane, these storms feed on that heat. That's what leads to their intensification,

why they become so strong. This storm was so strong. It actually had an eye-like feature. Now, it's not quite the same as the eye you see in a hurricane, but it's often a measure of just how intense this storm was. It was as strong as measured by the central pressure of the storm, one of the metrics we use, nearly as strong as a cat-3 hurricane. And so like hurricanes, they feed on the heat of the oceans. That gives them their intensity. And it provides all of that moisture that's available to dump out in record snowfalls. So, Professor, does this indicate that we're going to be facing many more of these northeasters in the future than we have in the past? Yeah, thanks. It's a great question. Whether we'll see more of these storms or fewer of them is a

little uncertain because there are a whole bunch of factors that come into that. But what we do know with some degree of confidence is that the strongest storms are getting stronger. We're seeing more intense nor'easters and we are seeing larger snowfalls. And that's really what does the most harm, the most damage, what poses the greatest risk, are the strongest storms with the strongest damaging winds that produce the largest amount of snowfall. And we're seeing in the observations, an increase in those intensities and an increase in those snowfall totals. And we expect to see that increase as long as we continue to warm up the planet by burning fossil fuels and putting carbon pollution into the atmosphere. And what about the countries,

ability to respond to these storms? What policies of the Trump administration are making that more difficult in the future? Yeah, it's a great question. We saw this. We've been seeing this with recent hurricane strikes, you know, the devastating flooding that we saw in the southeastern U.S. during the hurricane season a couple years ago, no, more than a year ago or so. What? What we're seeing, you know, is that the dismantling of, for example, FEMA, the lack of resources that they have is preventing, you know, the sorts of assistance that typically would be provided to those in harm's way. And moreover, the Trump administration is dismantling our atmospheric modeling capability. Their attack on the National Center for Atmospheric Research defunding this

historic institution. Encar, as it's called, does a lot of the extreme weather modeling that's used by NOAA, for example, to predict extreme weather events and to advise risk assessments of those events. And so in a whole number of ways, the defunding of the science, the defunding of the infrastructure for assistance, the Trump administration is truly putting Americans in harm's way. Earlier this month, Professor Mann, a coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block President Trump's rollback of the 2009 endangerment finding, which enabled the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. In a separate petition, 18 children and young adults also sue the EPA, arguing the burning of fossil fuels is denying them their constitutional rights to, life and liberty. Can you talk about these extreme measures of the EPA and what that endangerment finding means now? Yeah, thanks, because that's actually the single greatest assault

that we've seen from the administration on climate action is the effort to, well, now that they've at least temporarily overturned the endangerment finding, which was a finding by the Supreme Court. They've been blaming this on the Obama administration. No, it was the Supreme Court that found that, indeed, the EPA was required to regulate carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuel burning. And it was then two years later, it was actually codified by the EPA. It is the primary means by which the United States has been able to meet its obligations to the rest of the world when it comes to limiting carbon emissions. The endangerment finding is basically the policy vehicle that allows for the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.

It's the primary vehicle that allows the government to regulate fuel efficiency standards. And it was because of that endangerment finding that the Obama administration was able to to keep its promises to the rest of the world. And that was critical for reaching global agreements like the Paris Agreement. And of course, we know that Trump has even pulled out of the Paris Agreement now. So the Trump administration is doing the bidding of the fossil fuel industry that was basically spelled out in Project 2025. They said this was what they were going to do. And this is what they are doing. Michael Mann, I want to thank you for being with us, presidential distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Coming up, we go to Mexico, where dozens of people have died after Mexican security forces killed the nation's most powerful drug lord.

Stay with us. Here's way steady and true As soon as it's done I'm going to say so Here's someone by Lila Downs performing in our Democracy Now studio. This is Democracy Now,

Democracy Now.org, the Warren peace report. I'm Amy Goodman with Juan Gonzalez. We turn now to Mexico. still reeling from a wave of violence following a U.S. intelligence-aided raid killing the powerful drug lord, commonly known as El Mentioncho Sunday morning. At least 70 people were killed in the raid targeting Nemesio Osgaras Servantes, the head of the Chalisco New Generation Cartel. And in ensuing violence as armed groups retaliated in more than a dozen Mexican, States. Suspected gang members blocked highways and set cars on fire, buses and businesses, while clashing with security forces. Mexican President Claudia Shanebaum said the situation

is normalizing, and the U.S. State Department continues to urge American citizens in Mexico to shelter in place amidst ongoing security operations and criminal activity. Reuters and the New York Times report that the Mexican raid targeted Osegiera, who headed Mexico's largest cartel, was aided by intelligence from the CIA and a new U.S. military-led task force. Speaking at a news conference on Monday, President Seenbaum said the United States only played an information-sharing role in the Mexican military attack. All operations are carried out by federal forces. There is no U.S. participation in the operation. What there is, as we have said here, several times, is a great deal of information sharing.

The understanding with the United States is based primarily on the exchange of intelligence information. In this case, the U.S. government provided information and even issued an intelligence statement. But the entire operation, from planning onwards, is the responsibility of, Federal forces. In this case, the Ministry of National Defense. The surprise raid killing the cartel leader Ossigara, El Mancho, was the biggest Mexican

security operation in over a decade and comes amidst rising pressure on Mexico from President Trump to crack down on drug cartels and organized crime in Mexico. For more, we're joined by Reuters reporter Laura Gattesdiener in Monterey, Mexico, part of the Reuters team that won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for their exposé on lax regulation in the U.S. and abroad that makes fentanyl, one of the world's deadliest drugs, inexpensive, and widely available to users in the United States. Laura Godesdina is also a former producer at Democracy Now. Laura, congratulations on the Pulitzer. We haven't gotten a chance to congratulate you on the air. But most importantly, right now, your piece is so important.

important. You've written several in the last few days as you give background on what has taken place on Sunday morning. Can you explain the president, Claudia Shanebaum's predecessor from the Morena Party, Amlo, came to power in part because of the public's frustration with the militarized war on drugs. Can you talk about the significance now of President Shanebaum's action? Thank you so much for having me. Hello to the whole. control room and Democracy Now team. Thank you. Yes. So this is a very critical moment here in Mexico. The raid was really considered a shock here in Mexico, at least according to the sources that I've spoken to. El Mencho, unlike some of the leaders of the Stenoa cartel, for example,

he was a very shadowy figure. He didn't call a lot of attention to himself, and he's been sought by, you know, three Mexican administrations, multiple U.S. administrations. So this is somebody who was wanted for a very long time. Obviously, the timing of the raid as well in advance, you know, of the World Cup. There are going to be games scheduled to play in Guadalajara. That all makes for a particularly dramatic situation. Obviously, the violence as well across parts of Mexico all in the day on Sunday was very dramatic. But, you know, as the president, as the president emphasized in our morning news conference yesterday, you know, across most of the country, the situation is calm, was calm. The retaliatory wave of violence really was something that showed the breadth of the

territorial reach of the Halisco New Generation cartel, which I mentioned sure was the leader of. But the real question remains to be seen whether this kicks off what often happens, which is a fracturing and infighting in a large criminal organization that then creates a sustained wave of violence that targets, of course, security forces, but also civilians all across sectors of society. So that's really the concern, whether this is going to create a wave of violence, or whether this is something that the Mexican government, they've sent, you know, some 2,000 troops to Halisco, the stronghold of the cartel, or if this is something that the Mexican government will be able to

control. It's also unclear, based on the structure of the Halisco New Generation Cartel, what exactly the succession plans could be, but also what exactly a fracturing might look like, unlike with the Sinolaa cartel, which fractured and has created sort of spectacular and terrible violence in Sinaloa due to the fracturing in 2024, which resulted because of the, which was kicked off because of the capture of El Mayo in the United States. The Halisco Cartel is a much more sort of decentralized franchise-based operation. So it is not clear sort of whether there are strong entrenched rivalries that will result in the sort of unfortunate and terrible ongoing violence that we're seeing in cinema.

And Laura, I wanted to ask you, the Schenbaum's predecessor, Amlo, really sought to tamp down this heavy-handed approach to the cartels in Mexico. Could you talk about the difference since Shane Baum has come in as president in her approach to combating drug trafficking and to what degree U.S. pressure is, has forced her hand in this?

Yes, absolutely. Excellent question, Juan. Thank you so much. As you know better than almost anyone, you know, this long-running U.S.-backed drug war is a combination of pressure from the United States as well as efforts by, you know, governments, whether Colombia or Mexico, you know,

Felipe Calderón obviously declared the war on drugs in Mexico in 2006. And yes, in 2018, Lopez Obrador was elected in a landslide victory for various reasons. Also, you know, widespread frustration about inequality and injustice in Mexico, but also in large part because of frustration over this drug war and the U.S. back drug war, frustration both in terms of U.S. pressure and frustration in terms of, you know, the Mexican role leading this drug war. Unfortunately, there was a real mixed results from Lopez Obrador

efforts to use social programs to combat the insecurity in the country. His social programs, which are, you know, which Shambam has continued and which are widely popular, historically reduced poverty. And that was a huge success for the government. And that is something that the Morana Party is continuing to prioritize, not only because it's popular, but because it is reducing poverty across the country. Yet at the same time, we saw Lopez Obrador's administration, the homicides, rates ticked down, but many security experts say that the cartels also became more entrenched, expanded to new and listed industries, were able to sort of further control territories. So it was complicated. And when Schaembaum came in, which of course comes in the context of, you know,

U.S. President Donald Trump's election and then taking office, immediately the Schaembaum administration stepped up the war against the cartels, deployed forces to Sinaloa, which at the time was both locked in a bloody battle that continues, but also was the absolute number one priority for the U.S. government because the U.S. government blames the Sinaloa cartel, principally the Los Chapitos faction, for the fentanyl crisis. So that was seen as both, you know, important in terms of Mexican security, but principally under a lot of U.S. pressure and a huge priority for the U.S. government. Since Trump came into office, all of the pressure continues, you know, and I think we have to understand the Almencho raid in the context of the January 3rd military attack in Caracas in Venezuela by the U.S. Special Forces.

That sent shockwaves all across the region. And there's a real sense in Mexico and beyond that governments need to show the U.S. that they are willing to take, willing and able to take military action on their own, less Washington sends special forces into the country. So in general, this raid is being considered, as being seen as a signal that President Chambon is sending to Washington. We not only can, but will take these types of, you know, unprecedented military operations, but do not send special forces into the country. This is a red line in Mexico. Laura, can you talk about the new U.S. joint interagency task force counter-cartel that you report played a key role.

role in the Mexican military raid on Sunday? I have a colleague Phil Stewart in Washington interviewed the head of the Joint Interagency Task Force counter-cartel ahead of the raid. This is a new task force set up by the Pentagon under President Donald Trump. There's not that much information available about it. Its mission is to dismantle Mexican cartels and cartels, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border. I think it's important to note there have been and continue to be various interagency,

you know, Pentagon Interagency cartels. And in general, what we've seen over many, many years, but accelerated under President Trump, is extensive coordination between U.S. law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence, so-called U.S. intelligence community, that's the CIA NSA, you know, the more than a dozen U.S. intelligence agencies. there is more coordination than ever between the law enforcement and the intelligence agency side to share information, compile information, get information. And then that is all compiled into what are called these targeting packages. There are these detailed dossiers, and that is shared with the Mexican government. That's not new.

We've seen sort of these targeting packages and information sharing happening for quite some time under multiple administrations. But it is definitely accelerating under President Trump in part. That's because of the FTO designation, the fact that President Trump, when he came into office, he directed the administration to declare various Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, including, of course, the Haleis Genni Generation cartel. That unlocks authorities within the U.S. government to use more money, more tools, more resources, to get intelligence and then to share intelligence internally. We're still all, I think, trying to really understand what the impact of this FTO designation

has been internally inside the United States government, because what we can see on the surface is really just a fraction of what's happening underneath the, underneath, because most of that the space is classified. I'd like to bring into our discussion another guest, Alexander Avina, Associate Professor of Latin American History at Arizona State University. He was written extensively and research about capitalism, the U.S. backed war on drugs and state violence. Professor Avina, I wanted to ask you this enormous firepower of the cartels in this

in this raid once again demonstrates the flood of arms that has come into Mexico from the United States. I'm wondering if you could talk about that, why these cartels are so heavily armed. Good morning, Juan. Thank you for having me again. Yes, there's been, over the last few years, there's been sustained really good reporting by Mexican and U.S. journalists that indicate something like 80 to 90 percent of the weapons that are captured from different drug trafficking organizations come from the United States. Indeed, President Seymbaum mentioned that I think yesterday during her morning-lein press conference which she said something like 80% of the weapons that they've taken from the Halisqa cartel come from the United States. There was really excellent reporting earlier this month about one particular

U.S. Army-owned ammunition plant in Lake City, Missouri that makes the 50-calibur ammunition that is designed to take down transport and even light aircraft. And while the U.S. military does use that ammunition, it also sells it to the U.S. domestic market, but there's very little demand from the U.S. domestic market for bullets, the size of cigars. So those bullets actually are being sold to Mexican drug trafficking organizations. And they're part of this broader flow of weaponry and ammunition that go from north to south, that just represents one driver of the type of violence that we see in Mexico that affect everyday Mexicans on the ground. Yeah.

And in terms of the Trump administration's repeatedly threatening President Seymomb, claiming her government wasn't doing enough to combat drug cartels, what's your assessment of how the Mexican government has tried to deal with this issue in the past? Yeah, Trump is infamously said, you know, things like he personally likes President Shanebaum, but she's scared and the cartels are actually running the country, which is, I mean, as we witnessed on Sunday, that's patently unfa, it's patently false. You know, what happened on Sunday is just part of a longer, you know, decades-long approach to drug interdiction that is highly militarized, that focuses on punitive actions, and that in the

end only ends up generating more violence and doesn't do anything to stemmed. the flow of drugs. So I think symbolically and politically, it represents a victory for President Shanebaum. It allows her to assert that, you know, she's doing, quote unquote, doing something about the most powerful drug organization, drug trafficking organization in Mexico and likely the Americas. It allows her to stave off some of the pressure from Trump, right, to assert Mexican military power against these criminal organizations. But we know that this is not going to do much in terms of stopping the flow of illicit drugs from Mexico into United States, if anything, based on recent past, we know that this is probably going to lead to some sort of internal struggle within this drug trafficking organization, which will only lead to intensified violence on the ground in local communities and the places and the geographies that it controls.

It will also probably emboldened rival groups to try to take over territories, production zones, and smuggling routes. So that will also intensify the violence on the ground. And it's just a phenomenon of the so-called war on drugs that the U.S. has led globally since the end of World War II. the burden of this war always falls upon the very bottom of the hierarchy within this political economy on the poor on poor people, on poor peasant farmers, on low-level street dealers, on low-level consumers. And so what we're going to see in Mexico, unfortunately, likely is an intensified violence on the ground that the type that we witnessed yesterday, right?

The main victims yesterday were, you know, communities across 15 states that suffered something like 250 plus road blockages and attacks by, you know, gunmen belonging to this halisco cartel as a way for them to project their power and to kind of terrorize local communities into submission. Laura Godesdina, your latest piece that just came out today for Reuters talks about the cartel and perhaps others putting out fake news accounts of what's taking place right now, the reaction in Mexico, you're contending, making it look worse than it is to the attack? Yeah, thanks, Amy. I completely agree with Alex. I think the roadblocks, the disturbances,

have a dramatic impact on communities across the country. There is also, at the same time, a propaganda effort of both these roadblocks, but in the digital space, that's what we were looking at late last night. Because at this point, the Haleisgrun generation cartel wants to try to create a narrative that the Mexican government is not in control of the country. There are certainly parts of the country in which the state really does struggle to assert control, provide basic functions and particularly security. But their goal is beyond that. They want to create, especially in the context of the World Cup, especially in the context of widespread tourism, to Mexico. They want to create an international image that there is, that they have more control of the country or that the Mexican government is unable to govern, essentially a crisis of

governability. And so what we were looking at last night is the way in which AI generated images and fake news spread across the internet. According to researchers, that was not just unsuspecting people sharing sort of stories to get clicks, but it appears that that was actually part of some version of a coordinated propaganda campaign by organized crime to create this additional space in which they are fighting for the narrative. The roadblocks were very real disturbances in which they are fighting for the narrative on the streets, but online they were also fighting for the narrative of this question of who governs the country. And so I think we have to really look at this online space, especially now that AI has become so in the same.

incredibly ubiquitous and understand, you know, what are crime groups doing in this space and how it is a new terrain of struggle, of propaganda narrative struggle for them. They've used social media for various tactical communication reasons, fake recruiting for quite some time. But this is sort of, it appears that this is sort of an escalation of the propaganda war that they wage online. Well, I want to thank you. Laura Goddegner.

One last question. No, I just wanted to ask a professor. Ravino, what your sense is of how the U.S. backed war on drugs has impacted this issue of corruption within the Mexican government? An easy question, Juan. I mean, it's, you know, corruption is something that's structural to the international drug game. So it's not even just corruption that allows for this political economy of narcotics to

function within Mexico. And indeed, the rise of this political economy began within the confines of the post-revolutionary authoritarian authoritarian authoritarian. state that was led by the PRI throughout the 20th century. But this is a feature that characterizes the political economy of illicit narcotics and drugs globally. So for it to function, it also depends on corruption within the United States government as well, within different U.S. security forces. And as we've now known, we've talked about in the past, we know that since the end of World War II, the U.S. has used the so-called war on drugs as a way to advance geopolitical imperialist ambitions in

Latin America. It gave them one more tool to try to exercise control over countries in Latin America through a militarized approach to drug interdiction. And that hasn't necessarily changed. We witnessed it at the end of last year with the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the whole phenomenon of narco-terrorism. And we're seeing something, we're going to continue to see this throughout the Trump administration and beyond, whether there's a Democrat in power. The style and the rhetoric will be different, but the war on drugs will continue to be used as a way to advance U.S. empire in the region. And again, to stress this point, the burden falls on the poor people in Mexico and on poor people in the United States. And we never get back to the fundamental

question of why poor people are turned to the economy of illicit drugs in Mexico and why so many Americans, a disproportionate amount relative to the global population, feel the need to turn to elicit drugs to get by on an everyday basis. I think those are some of the more profound questions that we need to keep posing. Alexander Avina, I want to thank you so much for being with us, Associate Professor of Latin American History at Arizona State University, and Laura Gattis Dina, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist based in Monterey. We'll link to your recent articles. This is Democracy Now. Coming up, we speak to longtime war crimes prosecutor Reid Brody about law and accountability from the International Criminal Court's hearing on former Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte,

To the growing fallout from the Epstein files. Stay with us. Little star smiling tonight knows where little star steady and bright. To God rush little for now take me straight into the earth. of my dear So Dear Someone by Lila Downs

performing in our Democracy Now studio. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org. I'm Amy Goodman with Juan Gonzalez. We end today's show with the longtime

war crimes prosecutor Reid Brody. He's been closely following a number of stories that revolve around law and accountability. From the international fallout over the Epstein

files to this week's hearing in the Hague on whether former Filipino president, Rodrigo Duterte, should stand trial before the International Criminal Court. To today, this fourth anniversary of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Reid Brody is a member of the International Commission of Juris and author of To Catch a Dictator, the pursuit and trial of Hussain Habre. Reads, let's begin with the arrest of Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United

States, accused of passing confidential government information to Jeffrey Epstein while he was serving as Britain's trade secretary. His arrest come days after the also arrest of the former Prince Andrew. Neither of them are being charged for abuse of minors or girls and women, though the emails are, to say the least, stunning and horrifying between them and Jeffrey Epstein after he was known to abuse children. But talk about what is happening abroad and what is happening here at home as a result of the fallout from the Epstein files. Well, it's really crazy how you have throughout Europe all of these heads rolling and all of these arrests and relatively little accountability in the United States. And I think one of the reasons we're seeing, you know, all these Epstein-related

arrests across Europe is that prosecutors and police are generally independent of political power. I mean, the Metropolitan Police did not have to ask anybody to go and arrest Peter Mandelson or the, you know, or the former Prince Andrew. In the United States, you know, the, you know, the federal prosecutors and the FBI are only going to investigate those people who Donald Trump wants investigated. And so there is no prosecutorial independence in the United States. You know, there have been calls, and I think, you know, for a special counsel to investigate the Epstein affair. I mean, yeah, I mean, that would be what would normally happen if there's a conflict of interest. But, of course, we know that in Trump's first term, when Jeff Sessions appointed Robert

Mueller a special counsel, he was fired. So there's not going to be a special counsel. There's not going to be, you know, political investigations of political figures here because the Justice Department in the United States has been acting like Donald Trump's private law firm. And so, I mean, I think there are a number of other, I mean, I get asked all the time in Europe, why isn't there more accountability here in the United States? And I think that's one big reason.

I also think, you know, the class issue that Rokano is always talking about, how these are billionaires, you know, who abused working class women. I think that's, you know, resonates more in European societies somewhat than in American societies. But I think, you know, this cannot be the end of the affair, so to speak, for the Epstein file. I mean, we're going to see that, you know, this continue. Well, Reid, there was a panel of independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council as actually called for an independent and impartial investigation of the alleged sex crimes contained in the Epstein files. And the panel said, quote, so grave is the scale, nature, systematic character, and transnational reach of these atrocities against women and girls that a number of them may reasonably meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity. the importance of this effort, and do you think it has any prospects?

Well, I think, you know, there can be international investigations. The problem is that the actual files, the actual power to call witnesses and to get to the bottom of this is here in the United States with federal authorities. And, of course, some states now can take up the slack. I mean, in New York State, there is no statute of limitations for the worst sex crimes. So you could have, you could see state prosecutors taking this up. I want to turn for a moment. We're trying to get to a lot of issues in these few minutes to the ICC, the hearing ICC at the Hague around the Filipino president Duterte, who was arrested and being held there.

Well, I mean, this is a monumental event for the Philippines. I mean, the former head of state, the former president who's, these are confirmation of charges hearing to determine whether he should. should stand trial for having allegedly ordered and instigated the killing, the extrajudicial killing of alleged drug dealers. I mean, thousands, potentially tens of thousands of Filipinos have been killed. Ironically, speaking of double standards, these are the same crimes which Donald Trump has presumptively committed by the strikes that you reported earlier in the in the Caribbean. The extrajudicial execution without due process of alleged drug dealers. But

Rodrigo Duterte is in the Hague and Donald Trump is in the White House. I think, you know, this is also a watershed moment for the International Criminal Court to have a former head of state in the dock. You know, in 24 years and at the cost of probably $3 billion, the international criminal court has never successfully captured and prosecuted and convicted any state official anywhere, much less a former head of state. And so, you know, Rodrigo Duterte probably thought he was home free. But, you know, you also have a number of other people who have been indicted by the ICC, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Minong Lang of Myanmar, a bunch of former heads of state out there, but they haven't been brought in.

The international criminal court does not have a police force. So this is a major moment for international justice and for the ICC. And we only have about a minute left, but I'm wondering, the world is marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. There are no signs of it stopping soon. President Trump promised on day one he'd end the war here a year later. It's still not ended. Why does peace seem so out of reach?

Well, I think, you know, this is this is a policy on both sides of really of endless war. I mean, talking about, you know, accountability, actually the Russian invasion and Russian crimes in Ukraine have led to probably the most coordinated international justice response in history. I mean, the international criminal court has indicted Vladimir Putin and his Minister for Child Affairs for thousands of Ukrainian children who were kidnapped. You have four other, the former Chiefs of Staff and defense minister and two generals who have been indicted for attacking Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. You have tens of thousands of cases, war crimes cases going through the Ukrainian courts. And you have the recently created special tribunal on aggression against Ukraine that may prosecute Russian leaders for the worst crime that was committed, which was the invasion of Ukraine. All these accountability things are moving forward, but peace doesn't seem anywhere closer than it did four years ago. We want to thank you, Reid Brody, long-time war crimes prosecutor, a member of the International Commission of Juris.