February 4th, 2025: Mexican Cartels Order Drone Attacks On Border Patrol & Denmark Signals Openness on Greenland

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What attacks are Mexican cartels reportedly ordering on Border Patrol?

Mike Baker 0:12
It's Tuesday, 4 February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We start things off today at America's southern border, where Mexican drug cartels are reportedly ordering attacks on U.S. Border Patrol agents using suicide drones and other explosives as part of an effort to push back against the latest crackdown. We'll break down what this means for border security and how U.S. officials are responding. Later in the show, the latest on the diplomatic row over Greenland. The Danish prime minister says Denmark is open to allowing the U.S. to expand its military presence on the island, aiming to ease tensions with the Trump administration.
Mike Baker 1:00
Plus, a troubling new report from the United Nations documenting an alarming rise in the execution of captured Ukrainian soldiers by Russian forces. And in today's back of the brief, President Trump is set to issue an executive order pulling the U.S. out of the U.N. Human Rights Council and cutting off funding for the U.N. relief agency for Gaza known as UNRWA. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. The drug cartels that helped facilitate the U.S. migration crisis are not taking kindly to President Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, with reports warning that they may soon attempt to turn the U.S. border into a war zone. According to an internal Border Patrol memo reviewed by the New York Post, Mexican drug cartels have given orders to their foot soldiers to start attacking U.S.
Mike Baker 1:54
Border Patrol agents with weaponized kamikaze drones and other explosives, angered that their lucrative illicit trade of people and drugs is being impeded by the new administration. The news comes just two weeks after Trump designated cartels operating in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations. The alert, citing human sources and statements on social media, advises agents to, quote, remain cognizant of their surroundings at all times. Well, that's always a good idea anyway, due to the potential threat. It also recommends that all agents have rifles readily available, as well as first aid kits, tourniquets and body armor in case they come under attack. The memo specifically warns that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has received intelligence, quote, End quote. Analysts note that since attack drones have become more common in modern warfare as we've seen both in Ukraine and the Middle East, it's not surprising that the violent drug cartels in Mexico are turning to the technology in their desire to maintain their illicit revenue streams.
Mike Baker 3:12
A separate memo also warns border authorities that the cartels are encouraging assassins to target agents individually, underscoring the grave threats, of course, facing law enforcement personnel that are tasked with carrying out the White House's immigration crackdown. But given Trump's designation of the cartels as terrorist organizations, well, they could soon find themselves facing the full wrath of the American military. On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said they, quote, all options will be on the table, including airstrikes when it comes to potentially engaging in targeted U.S. military operations on Mexican soil to counter the cartels. The warning comes less than a week after four suspected members of a Mexican cartel opened fire on U.S. Border Patrol agents who were attempting to stop a group of migrants from entering the U.S. illegally. The agents, who were able to stop the migrant group from crossing, promptly returned fire on the cartel members and subsequently deployed a drone to track the four gunmen.
Mike Baker 4:15
While authorities were unable to apprehend the gunman, no injuries were reported to the border agents. But again, it revealed the lengths that these violent cartels are willing to go to in order to protect their lucrative criminal enterprise. Despite the incidents and ongoing threats, the Trump administration is plowing forward with their efforts to curb illegal immigration and fortify the southern border. As we've been tracking on the PDB, Trump declared a national emergency at the border on his first day in office and shut down all crossings with Mexico for migrants seeking asylum.

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