The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | April 2nd, 2025: The Disturbing Way Mexico's Deadliest Cartel Recruits New Members & Israel's Plan To Seize Parts Of Gaza
02 Apr 2025
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: We’ll begin today south of the border with a look at the operations of one of Mexico’s deadliest drug cartels, as new details from an investigation into a ranch used for mass killings reveal the disturbing tactics employed to recruit new members. Later in the show, Israel has announced a major expansion of their military operations in Gaza, outlining plans to seize large areas of the enclave. 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 Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
It's Wednesday, the 2nd of April. 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, we'll look at the latest findings from the Mexican government's investigation into a cartel-operated ranch that authorities have dubbed a, quote, extermination camp.
Later in the show, Israel has announced a major expansion of their military operations in Gaza, outlining plans to seize large areas of the Gaza Strip to annex into Israel's security zones. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We'll begin today south of the U.S.
border with a new look at the operations of one of Mexico's deadliest drug cartels as new details from an investigation into a ranch used for mass killings reveal the tactics employed by the cartel to recruit new members. We recently brought you the story of the Izaguirre Ranch in the western Mexico state of Jalisco.
Last month, a group of volunteers searching for their missing loved ones uncovered what authorities have called an extermination camp. On the ranch, authorities discovered underground cremation ovens, burned human remains, and more than 700 personal items scattered across the property, suggesting a disturbingly high number of victims.
Officials say the ranch was run by the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, which first emerged in the early 2010s, after its members split from the Sinaloa Cartel. The Jalisco Cartel is led by Nemicio Rubén Oceguera Cervantes, better known by his alias, El Mencho.
The cartel is a major trafficker of the deadly opioid fentanyl, as well as methamphetamine, and also engages in large-scale human trafficking. The cartel rapidly expanded throughout the 2010s and has since garnered a reputation as one of the most violent criminal groups in Mexico, and that frankly is no small feat given the competition.
Their rise to power was marked by a sharp increase in homicides, disappearances, and the discovery of mass graves in the region. The extermination ranch was originally discovered last September, but local officials are accused now of engaging in a cover up on behalf of the cartel.
In March, after the highly publicized findings of the local volunteers, Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum intervened, directing the state attorney general's office to take over the investigation. Through that investigation, we've learned more about how the cartel recruits new members, and as you might imagine, the findings are disturbing.
While the cartel engages in the targeted recruitment of ex-military and police forces to make up their primary force, they also rely on the forced recruitment of locals, who are then trained in their violent techniques at locations such as the Jalisco Ranch, according to a report from the Associated Press.
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