The President's Daily Brief - March 4th, 2025: Cartel Operatives Confess: ‘We Live In Fear’ & Trump Blasts Zelensky...Again

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: As the U.S. and Mexico tighten their grip on the border, cartel henchmen are starting to panic. With the looming threat of American strikes inside Mexico, drug lords are scrambling—not just to protect their operations, but to save their own skin. The war of words between Ukrainian President Zelensky and President Trump escalates. After Zelensky’s latest remarks, Trump fired back, calling it, quote, “the worst statement he could have made.” Egypt unveils its vision for a post-war Gaza, aiming to sideline Hamas and install interim governing bodies backed by Arab, Muslim, and Western states. And in today’s Back of the Brief: The Trump administration has reportedly hit the brakes on offensive cyber operations against Russia. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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turn your big business idea into... Sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. It's Tuesday for March. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. The war of words between Ukrainian President Zelensky and President Trump continues. After Zelensky's latest remarks, well, Trump fired back, calling it, quote, the worst statement he could have made.

And as if to emphasize that, the Trump administration announced on Monday that it would pause the ongoing delivery of military aid to Ukraine. Later in the show, as the U.S. and Mexico tighten their grip on the border, something rare is happening. Cartel henchmen are starting to panic. With the looming threat of American strikes inside Mexico, drug lords appear to be scrambling, not just to protect their operations, but to save their own hides. Plus, Egypt has unveiled its vision for a post-war Gaza, aiming to sideline Hamas and install interim governing bodies backed by Arab, Muslim, and Western states. We'll have those details. And in today's back of the brief, the Trump administration has reportedly hit the brakes on offensive cyber operations against Russia.

But first, today's PDB spotlight. The Trump administration announced on Monday that the U.S. will pause all military aid to Key. Now, details are scarce at this time, but it appears that the aid will be stopped while the White House decides if Ukrainian President Zelensky is making an actual effort toward peace negotiations with Russia. According to a Wall Street Journal report, a White House official stated, quote, the president has been clear that he's focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well.

We're pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it contributes to a solution. end quote. Well, I guess you could argue that the lack of aid by pausing that aid will certainly contribute to a solution, and that would be eventually a Putin victory. There were no details provided by the administration as to how, when, or under what conditions the military aid could resume. The Trump administration had already stopped the financing of new weapons sales to Kiev prior to the Rumble in the Oval Office on Friday last week, so this latest move, on Monday, well, essentially shuts down any further shipments of military aid that had previously been in the works. And in the wake of that contentious televised Oval Office meeting, Ukraine's

President Zelensky followed up in Europe by further angering President Trump, warning that a deal to end the war with Russia remains, quote, very, very far away. Before departing London on Sunday, Zelensky insisted that Keeves' relationship with the United States transcends political shifts. The Ukrainian leader stated, quote, I think our relationship will continue because it's more than an occasional relationship, citing Washington's steady stream of military and financial backing over the last three years. And that's a stream, as just mentioned, that as of Monday, has dried up. However, Zelensky remains publicly optimistic that U.S. aid will persist despite political turbulence, stating, quote, Ukraine has a strong enough partnership with the United States of America.

His remarks followed a diplomatic swing through the United Kingdom, where he met with Prime Minister Kier Starrmer and other European leaders to rally additional military and economic support. European officials have been vocal in their pledges to continue backing Ukraine, but behind closed doors, some acknowledged a harsh reality. Long-term security in the region still hinges on American military power. While there's been discussion of British and French peacekeepers stepping in, should a peace settlement be reached, leaders made one thing clear. U.S. air defense systems remain essential for deterring future Russian aggression. On Monday, in a post on truth social, responding to Zelensky's

comment that the war's end could be very, very far away, Trump lashed out at Zelensky, slamming his bleak assessment of the war's end game. Trump posted, quote, this is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer. end quote. Trump went further, outright accusing Zelensky of deliberately prolonging the conflict to secure ongoing U.S. aid, stating, it is what I was saying, this guy doesn't want there to be peace as long as he has America's backing, end quote. The president also took aim at European leaders for what he called a weak negotiating stance against Russia, ridiculing their candid admission that U.S. military power remains indispensable. He wrote, quote,

probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia, end quote. Although, frankly, at this stage, neither the U.S. nor Europe has explained what compromises, if any, Putin will need to make for peace. That itself would be a show of strength against Russia. The White House has been fairly clear in stating what concessions they expect Ukraine to make for peace, but have not indicated if they expect Putin to make any concessions. President Trump has already stated that he believes Ukraine isn't holding any cards at the negotiating table, which implies that Putin is in a position to claim the pot. Now, I'm not a globe-trotting diplomat, but I'll bet that if you give Putin everything he wants,

well, you can get yourself a peace deal. All right, coming up next, we go south of the U.S. border, as the Mexican government is ramping up operations against the cartels. plus Egypt unveils its plan to sideline Hamas in a post-war Gaza. I'll be right back. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usa.com slash bundle.

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Let's turn our focus to south of the U.S. border, where threats from the Trump administration and a renewed crackdown by Mexican authorities have the country's powerful drug lords reportedly fearing that their days could be numbered. As we've been tracking on the PDB, the Mexican government has been bringing the fight to drug cartels with renewed vigor in recent months. While the campaign against the cartels kicked off after Mexican President Claudia Shinebomb took office last October, it intensified. in February, under pressure exerted by President Trump, who has demanded that they do more to combat illicit drug trafficking or face harsh trade tariffs. President Scheinbaum has since gone on the offensive dispatching 10,000 troops in early February to towns and cities along the border, including cartel strongholds like Juarez, and hundreds more to Sinaloa State, the main hub for fentanyl trafficking. That's according to our report from the New York Times. A series of high-price

profile arrests, drug seizures, and fentanyl lab busts have followed, striking a significant blow to the operations of the Sinaloa cartel, the country's largest trafficking organization. Mexican officials say they've made some 900 arrests since the crackdown began late last fall, and seized nearly as much fentanyl in the last five months as they did the entire previous year. According to six cartel operatives who spoke exclusively to the New York Times, The cartels have now been forced to scale back fentanyl production in Sinaloa State, relocate drug labs to other parts of the country, and in some areas temporarily shut down production altogether.

A security analyst based in Mexico City said, quote, Trump established a deadline, and we're seeing the results of everything we could have seen in years being done in a month. He added, quote, the government is sending a message that when it really wants to, it can exert that kind of pressure, end quote. The activity is reportedly striking fear in the heart of Mexico's top narcos, who say that for the first time in recent memory,

well, they're genuinely afraid that they could be arrested or killed. One high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel that spoke to the Times said, quote, you can't be calm, you can't even sleep because you don't know when they'll catch you. The most important thing now is just to survive, end quote. Security analysts told the paper that Mexico's cartels have not felt this level of scrutiny in decades, and cartel operatives agreed. Many said they're hastily selling properties and cutting their personnel to make up for the losses in their fentanyl trade. Others, in a bid to protect their operations, are increasing illicit arms shipments from the U.S. and investing heavily in advanced equipment

like scanners to detect American drones. The U.S. has been using advanced drones for more than a decade, in partnership with Mexican authorities to surveil these criminal enterprises and track down their leadership. But the Trump administration has drastically expanded their use. Adding to their fears, the Trump administration is reportedly debating taking direct military action against the cartels after designating them as international terrorist organizations last month. Some cartel leaders have now gone into hiding and are attempting to figure out ways to protect themselves and their families from the possibility of American military strikes inside Mexico. The cartels were dealt another major blow last Thursday

when in a surprise announcement the Mexican government agreed to extradite 29 high-profile cartel members to the U.S. to face justice for their many crimes. Among those extradited were the founders of the brutal Los Zetas criminal syndicate, known as one of Mexico's most dangerous drug cartels, as well as the former boss of the Juarez cartel. The extraditions also included notorious drug lord Rafael Carl Quintero, who has been wanted by U.S. authorities for four decades

over his involvement in the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique Kiki Kameiraena, back in 1985. Now, Quintero was arraigned in a Brooklyn federal court on Friday where he pled not guilty to charges, including murder, conspiracy and international narcotics distribution. He faces the death penalty if convicted, and that's a clear message to Mexican cartel operatives of the consequences they could face if captured by authorities. All right, shifting now to the Middle East, where Egypt has put forward a blueprint for a post-war Gaza that would sideline Hamas, replacing it with interim governing

bodies overseen by Arab, Muslim, and Western nations. The proposal developed in coordination with Saudi Arabia and other regional stakeholders for months is expected to be presented at an Arab League summit today. It's being positioned as a countermeasure to President Trump's broader vision of a Middle East Riviera, which involves the relocation of 2.3 million Palestinians out of the enclave to neighboring countries. So what do we know so far? Well, at its core, the Egyptian plan is designed to stabilize guns.

through a phased approach, averting mass displacement while laying the groundwork for long-term governance. The first stage calls for the construction of thousands of mobile homes to shelter displaced Palestinians as the rebuilding of roads and housing and key infrastructure gets underway. The plan also accounts for practical challenges. Solar panels are being considered as a short-term energy solution, while the vast amount of debris left behind will be repurposed, once unexploded ordinance is cleared and bodies buried beneath the rubble are removed. A central pillar of the initiative is political restructuring. Cairo's proposal envisions a temporary Palestinian administration,

consisting of 15 to 20 technocrats with no ties to Hamas or the unpopular Palestinian Authority, known as the PA. This transitional body would, if you're a few, theoretically oversee governance until, ideally, a reformed PA takes over the reins over Gaza and the West Bank. To maintain oversight, an international steering board would be established, featuring key Arab nations, members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United States, the European Union, and other stakeholders. On security, the plan calls for the deployment of an international stabilization force, primarily composed of Arab states, to replace a

Hamas' military apparatus. Eventually, Gaza's local police force would be reinstated and retrained to maintain order. But funding for Gaza's reconstruction, well, remains an open question. Initial estimates place the cost between $50 billion and $80 billion, with Gulf and Arab states expected to contribute at least $20 billion in the initial phase. The reconstruction model itself draws inspiration for major historical efforts, including the U.S. Marshall Plan back after World War II, and most recently post-war recovery efforts in Bosnia. But if Cairo hoped for a buy-in from Hamas, well, those hopes have already been dashed. The terror group has repeatedly rejected any plan in which they lose power, with a senior

official declaring, quote, the day after in Gaza must only be decided by the Palestinians, dismissing any foreign-led administration or military presence. Notably, the proposal remains vague on key issues. It does not specify when or if elections would be held in Gaza, nor does it outline concrete steps for disarming Hamas should the terror group refuse to step aside. These gaps leave, of course, major uncertainties over how or even if the plan could be implemented. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief. The Trump administration has reportedly paused its offensive cyber operations against Russia as negotiations between Washington and Moscow continue over Ukraine. I'll be right back. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line.

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Bring a date, your team, or even your mom. Book direct at choiceotails.com. See you on the roof. In today's back of the brief, the Trump administration is once again provoking alarm with their efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to end Russia's war in Ukraine. In their latest bid to draw the Kremlin into more substantive negotiations, the Pentagon has reportedly ordered a pause on its offensive cyber and information operations against Russia. Russia. According to current and former officials briefed on the secret directive, Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth gave the order for U.S. Cyber Command to stand down against Moscow last week, though the White House says not publicly confirm the new policy. That's according to a report

from the BBC. Notably, the order came before President Trump's dust-up with Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Oval Office last Friday, which derailed the signing of a minerals deal that the administration hoped would accelerate the peace process. The directive is raising serious questions among European allies about the Trump administration's commitment to combating ongoing Russian cyber attacks against the West, with France's foreign minister publicly expressing confusion over the move. European countries in particular have been a favorite target of the Putin regime's shadow war, which has targeted their energy sectors, communications infrastructure, defense industries, and electoral systems. The U.S. has played a central role in helping Europe fight back against

Russia's sabotage efforts, coordinating retaliatory cyber operations and working to strengthen Ukraine's digital defenses. Now, that cooperation is now reportedly in jeopardy, though it's unclear what the impact will be on the purely defensive cyber operations. We should note, however, that cybersecurity experts and former officials have stressed that such stand-downs are not uncommon when the U.S. is engaged in sensitive diplomatic negotiations in order to avoid derailing them. As we've been tracking on the PDB, diplomatic talks began on February 18th in Riyadh, between U.S. and Russian delegations, and were followed by a second meeting in Istanbul just last Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Marker Wubio said over the weekend, quote,

you're not going to bring the Russians to the table if you're calling them names, if you're being antagonistic. That's just the president's instincts from years and years and years of putting together deals. Still, some analysts said the Trump administration is taking a huge gamble with this latest directive, arguing that Russian President Putin is unlikely to reciprocate. Well, that, ladies and gentlemen, would be what we hear at the PDB refer to as a statement of the obvious. While the scope and duration of the pause is unclear. Anonymous officials said it's only intended to stay in place while negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war are active. A senior Defense Department official added that Secretary Agseth has, quote, no greater priority than ensuring that the nation

remains protected across all fronts, including in the cyber domain. Now, as you may suspect, Russia and China are the key players in aggressive cyber operations and attacks against the West. It could be described as, well, let's go with naive, to imagine that Moscow will show Washington the same courtesy and stopping their own operations against the U.S. And by that I mean, they won't. It's nice to be magnanimous, you see, but not when dealing with a key adversary who, in no way, has your best interests at heart. But then, maybe that just makes me sound churlish. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Tuesday for March. have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And as always,

if you'd like to listen to the show ad-free, well, that can happen. Just simply become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here from MintMobil, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of $45 for three month, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only,

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