The President's Daily Brief
March 20th, 2025: Grisly Cartel ‘Extermination Camp’ Uncovered & Houthi Leaders Go Into Hiding
Thu, 20 Mar 2025
In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: • A grisly discovery in Mexico—volunteers searching for missing loved ones uncover what appears to be an extermination site used by drug cartels, complete with burned remains and underground cremation ovens. • The U.S. military launches another round of strikes on Houthi strongholds in Yemen, forcing Houthi leaders into hiding and cutting off communications. • President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy hold what Trump calls a "very good" call, discussing steps toward a ceasefire. • And in today’s Back of the Brief—the European Union unveils a new initiative to cut reliance on U.S. military supplies, as intelligence warns Russia could be ready for war in five years. 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
Chapter 1: What grisly discovery was made in Mexico?
It's Thursday, the 20th of 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. We'll start things off with a grisly discovery in Mexico. Volunteers searching for missing loved ones uncovered what appears to be an extermination site used by drug cartels, complete with burned remains and underground cremation ovens.
We've got the details. Later in the show, the U.S. military launched another round of strikes on Houthi strongholds in Yemen. Now, the attacks have forced Houthi leaders into hiding, cutting off communications as they scramble to respond. Plus, President Trump engages in a, quote, very good call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, with the pair discussing steps toward a ceasefire.
Again, and not to beat that dead war horse, but this ceasefire talk with Zelensky only means something if Putin decides that he wants to stop waging war on Ukraine. And in today's back of the brief, the European Union is unveiling a new initiative to cut reliance on U.S. military supplies.
With intelligence warning that Russia could be ready for war in five years, the EU is making moves to bolster its own security. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. We'll begin in Mexico, where the violence and depravity of the nation's drug cartels is once again on display following the gruesome discovery of what authorities are calling an extermination camp.
Mexican authorities recently descended on the Izaguirre Ranch in the western state of Jalisco after a group of volunteers searching for their missing loved ones received a tip about a mass grave hidden at the abandoned ranch just outside of Guadalajara.
When they arrived at the ranch, officials found underground cremation ovens, burned human remains, bone fragments, hundreds of pairs of shoes, discarded clothing and children's toys. That's according to a report from The New York Times. They even found multiple figurines of Santa Muerte, the Mexican folk saint of death, revered by criminals and drug traffickers throughout the country.
As the investigation progressed, authorities also uncovered at least 96 shell casings of various calibers and metal gripping rings likely used to bind the victims. The grisly discovery has raised fears that the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, which previously operated the ranch, likely carried out mass killings at the property.
It's unclear how many people died at the ranch, and authorities have yet to identify any of the remains, but the more than 700 personal items found scattered across the property hint at a disturbingly high number of victims.
Even for a country that is sadly acclimated to episodes of brutal cartel violence, the images send shockwaves through the community, with local media outlets referring to the site as a, quote, extermination camp.
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Chapter 2: What actions has the U.S. military taken against the Houthis?
Well, most notably, Zelensky officially agreed to the partial ceasefire with Russia covering energy and other civilian infrastructure, though it remains unclear how the tentative agreement will be formally implemented and enforced. Perhaps more surprisingly, Trump appeared to soften his stance toward Kiev.
Zelensky reportedly requested additional air defense systems, particularly U.S.-made Patriot missile systems, and Trump agreed to work with him to fulfill the request. Trump also pledged to keep providing Kiev with military and intelligence assistance, despite the Kremlin's demand on Tuesday that ongoing aid be halted. Furthermore, President Trump told Zelensky that the U.S.
could help run Ukraine's electrical facilities and nuclear power plants as a kind of security guarantee, reportedly saying that, quote, American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure, end quote. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later confirmed the details of the call and said a delegation from the U.S.
will hold discussions with Russian and Ukrainian officials next Monday and Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to work out the technical details of the partial ceasefire and potentially expand it to include a halt on fighting in the Black Sea Rubio suggested that these discussions could provide the basis for a broader accord to bring the war to a permanent end
It's encouraging progress, to be sure, but as we've been tracking, Putin is still sticking to a long list of demands for a lasting peace that Kiev is not likely to accept. Much will likely hinge on how willing the Kremlin is to make concessions next week to move the discussions forward. And so far, well, they've shown no willingness to back off their list of hardline demands.
Acknowledging the chaotic nature of the discussions this week, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Wednesday, quote, Shuttle diplomacy is difficult. It's tough, but we are going back and forth at every level, driving both sides toward a ceasefire and driving both sides toward the end of this war, end quote. Hmm.
Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, the EU, the European Union, unveils a new defense strategy to cut reliance on U.S. military supplies, preparing for a potential conflict with Russia in the coming years. We'll have those details next. In today's back of the brief, the European Union unveiled an ambitious security strategy aimed at reducing its dependence on U.S. military suppliers.
The move urges member states to prioritize European defense firms as intelligence warns of another looming war with Russia. The EU's push for military self-sufficiency is a direct response to growing concerns that Washington's commitment to European defense is, well, uncertain.
Last month, the Trump administration signaled a shift in focus, prioritizing border security and Indo-Pacific threats over European defense. That's a stance that accelerated efforts within the EU to secure its own military capabilities.
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