April 9th, 2025: Chinese Fighters Captured In Ukraine & CIA’s New War on Fentanyl
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It's Wednesday, the 9th of April. 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 on the battlefields of Ukraine, where reports indicate that Chinese nationals have been captured fighting alongside Russian forces. President Zelensky is sounding the alarm and says there may be more where they came from.

Later in the show, a report says that the CIA is weighing whether it can target and kill drug traffickers overseas. The mission? Well, that would appear to be self-evident: stop the flow of fentanyl and other deadly drugs before they ever reach American streets.

Plus, Trump's DHS, the Department of Homeland Security, is now telling migrants who legally entered the U.S. using former President Biden's CBP One app to now leave the country immediately. The reversal throws thousands of individuals into limbo.

And in today's back of the brief, Beijing may be preparing to strike back at Trump's tariffs by blocking American movies from Chinese theaters. Oh no, they might not be able to see Minecraft, a shift that could cost Hollywood billions. China is the second largest market of moviegoers on the planet. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

We'll start today with some surprising news from the front lines of the war in Ukraine Two Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian troops have been captured by Kyiv's forces and officials warn that there are likely many more

The incident has raised alarm bells, of course, in Kyiv, as the two Chinese soldiers were captured on Ukrainian territory while engaged in combat in the Eastern Donetsk region. A number of documents were found in their possession, including IDs and bank cards containing personal data, though Ukrainian officials have not said whether they believe the men were acting on orders from Beijing. That's according to a report from Politico.

But Ukrainian President Zelensky is demanding answers from the Chinese Communist Party. Well, good luck with that. His foreign minister summoned China's envoy to Ukraine on Tuesday to provide an explanation, saying it, quote, "...puts into question China's declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing's credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council," end quote.

if only there were a clue as to where China stands in regards to Putin's war on Ukraine. I mean, aside from the CCP propping up his war machine through their significant economic support over the past three years, if there were just other clues. Zelensky said that their intelligence suggests there are, quote, "...much more than just two Chinese citizens in the occupier's units."

He added, "Russia's involvement of China, directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin is going to do anything but end the war. He's looking for ways to continue fighting." Zelensky called on the US and allies in Europe to hold China accountable. That's bound to happen. Saying the presence of Chinese nationals on the battlefield directly jeopardizes current efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the conflict.

as our listeners are likely aware.

China has tried to position itself as a neutral mediator between Ukraine and Russia, but has long been accused of covertly, or not so covertly, backing the Russian war effort. First, as mentioned, there's China's direct economic support of the Putin regime. Back in February 2022, just days before Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, China and Russia agreed to a, quote, no-limits partnership.

that many say has enabled Putin's aggression This partnership is credited with greatly accelerating the rebuilding and maintenance of Russia's defense industrial complex filling the gap left by former European trade partners The CCP has also done everything short of directly supplying weapons systems to Russia Instead, they've provided computer chips, advanced software, and dual-use technological components

that have military applications, including for drones. This support has allowed Putin to rapidly patch holes in the beleaguered military and keep the war machine going.

Neither China nor Russia has provided comment on the captured Chinese nationals, though an official with the U.S. State Department called the incident, quote, disturbing. Hmm, that's a classic State Department statement. They're the first reported POWs from China since the conflict began. And the revelation comes as North Korea continues to send troops to the front lines of the war, and in their case, well, they aren't bothering to hide their participation in the conflict. In late March,

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that roughly 3,000 additional North Korean troops were deployed to the region in January and February on top of the estimated 11,000 that arrived last year. It's been a bloody affair for the North Korean military, who with some 4,000 of the Kim regime's troops, estimated to have been killed or wounded so far. South Korean intelligence agencies attribute this staggering casualty count

to a variety of factors, including North Korean troops' lack of experience with modern battlefield technologies like drones. But Ukrainian officials say the North Korean troops have proven to be an effective tool for the Putin regime, playing a critical role in expelling Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region during a counteroffensive in March.

Ukrainian military officials say the North Koreans fight with an intense ferocity and are often ready to die. Numerous reports have documented cases where North Korean troops opted to kill themselves rather than be captured. One Ukrainian commander recently told ABC News, "They do not surrender. I don't remember any cases where we've been able to take them captive."

As we've been tracking here on the PDB, the war in Ukraine is reaching a critical juncture as President Trump continues to press for a ceasefire. But these latest reports from the front lines suggest Putin is likely not negotiating in good faith, ooh, surprise, and is more than happy to keep the war going if he doesn't receive his desired terms. That, of course, is what we hear at the PDB referred to as a statement of the obvious.

Putin recently ordered the conscription of 160,000 new troops. That's hardly the move of someone with peaceful intentions. And reports indicate that Russia is currently massing some 30,000 troops in the Donbass in preparation for a major offensive push in the region, potentially within the month. All right.

Coming up next, the CIA considers killing foreign fentanyl traffickers overseas. And Trump's Department of Homeland Security, the DHS, moves to revoke legal status for migrants who entered the U.S. through former President Biden's CBP One app. I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the PDB The CIA is reportedly assessing whether it can lawfully kill drug traffickers smuggling fentanyl and other deadly narcotics into the U.S. in a move that would escalate the Trump administration's war on cartels According to a CNN report, the agency is poring over legal frameworks and operational risks tied to lethal covert action drawing from anonymous officials and individuals briefed on the matter

It's important to note that while President Trump has not issued a directive to kill drug smugglers, the mere existence of the review signals serious interest in using intelligence tools and force to combat the opioid crisis and dismantle cartel networks.

As our regular PDB listeners will recall, these deliberations come on the heels of a February designation that classified eight major Latin American cartels, including six from Mexico, as foreign terrorist organizations.

That designation opened up sweeping counter-terrorism powers, typically reserved for groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, allowing the government to pursue cartel leaders through covert operations, intelligence missions, and financial sanctions. Trump laid the political groundwork in a State of the Union address back in early March, declaring, quote, "It's time for America to wage war on the cartels." That rhetoric has gained traction among Republicans in Congress,

some of whom are now openly advocating for lethal measures. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Representative Derek Van Orden stunned top military officials by asking why the U.S. isn't, quote, "killing Chinese drug traffickers who are fueling the fentanyl trade." Citing as many as 300,000 American deaths per year linked to overdoses, Van Orden argued that striking the traffickers directly

could serve as a powerful deterrent For now, the U.S. military lacks legal authority to use lethal force against traffickers However, the CIA, operating under the framework provided by Title 50 of the U.S. Code allows the president to authorize covert action without congressional approval or public disclosure

Should Trump greenlight the directive, lethal missions could fall to the CIA or be coordinated with elite Joint Special Operations Command units. According to the American think tank Atlantic Council, such a campaign would represent the most aggressive U.S. posture since the early years of the War on Terror.

As we previously discussed on the PDB, the CIA is already flying surveillance drones over Mexican airspace, with Mexico City's blessing. While these flights are currently limited to intelligence collection, officials say their scope could rapidly expand. Meanwhile, the US military footprint along the southern border continues to swell. Nearly 4,000 troops are now deployed, and that's an increase of about 1,500 since Trump took office in January.

Trump has historically leaned heavily on covert tools in his counterterrorism strategy, ordering drone strikes and special forces raids throughout his first term and now in his second. Analysts believe a similar playbook could be aimed at narco-terrorists, this time in America's backyard.

All right. Staying stateside, the Trump administration has begun revoking legal protections for nearly one million migrants who entered the U.S. under a Biden-era program, demanding that they leave the country immediately or face steep financial penalties. For background, the migrants, many of whom hail from Central America and Mexico, were allowed temporary entry through the CBP One app in an initiative central to President Biden's strategy of

of expanding legal migration pathways and curbing unlawful crossings. From January, 2023, more than 900,000 individuals entered the US through the app and received two-year work authorizations under a presidential authority known as parole. That protection is now being rescinded to safeguard national security. And that's according to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS.

In a statement Monday, DHS revealed that Biden's use of parole authority, more than any president since its creation in 1952, had, quote, "...further fueled the worst border crisis in U.S. history."

The CBP-1 program was officially scrapped for new entrants on President Trump's first day back in office, leaving thousands of would-be migrants with scheduled appointments stranded in Mexico. Now, the administration is targeting those already in the U.S., issuing termination notices and directing recipients to leave the U.S. voluntarily.

While the exact number of affected migrants wasn't disclosed, DHS confirmed that notifications had been sent urging individuals to quote, self-deport using the now renamed CBP Home app under Trump. One such message, reviewed by the Associated Press, was sent to a Honduran family and read quote, it's time for you to abandon the U.S.,

In parallel, the administration has dismantled several other immigration pipelines Last month, it shut down a separate parole pathway that had allowed more than 530,000 nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to legally fly into the U.S. with a financial sponsor That program is set to expire on the 24th of April Meanwhile, Temporary Protected Status, known as TPS, is also on the chopping block

DHS recently announced plans to dismantle TPS protections for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians However, a federal judge has temporarily paused the Haitian rollback and part of the Venezuelan one, shielding approximately 350,000 people for now

But beyond the policy rollbacks, the administration is preparing to implement sweeping enforcement protocols Migrants who remain in the U.S. after receiving final deportation orders could be fined $998 per day, hmm, retroactively for up to five years, leading to possible penalties in excess of $1 million per person

The move resurrects a little-used clause from a 1996 law that had gone dormant until Trump revived it during his first term back in 2018 Internal documents reviewed by Reuters reveal DHS intends to pursue the fines in full with help from the Department of Justice's Civil Asset Forfeiture Division Emails obtained by the outlet show plans to seize property from those who fail to pay

President Trump has emphasized that deporting migrants with final removal orders is a top administration priority Roughly 1.4 million people in the U.S. fall under that category Still, questions remain over execution A memo from Customs and Border Protection warned that implementing the fines would require hiring at least 1,000 new paralegal specialists and overhauling internal systems that are currently unprepared to handle such enforcement

For now, no start date for the fine collection has been set. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, China is reportedly weighing a ban on U.S. film releases in response to new tariffs. The move could cut Hollywood off from one of its most lucrative international markets. We'll have those details next.

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In today's Back of the Brief, it appears the Trump administration's escalating global tariff war could claim an unexpected victim, and that would be Hollywood. As I'm sure all our listeners are aware, last week, President Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on allies and adversaries alike. America's third-largest trading partner, China,

was hit with a particularly large trade tax of 34%, raising the total baseline rate on Chinese imports to 54%. Bah, didn't stop there, did it? The action prompted the CCP to retaliate with a 34% tariff of their own on American goods, which, to the surprise of no one,

left Trump steaming, the president quickly hit back, threatening to impose an additional 50% tariff on China by April 9th, which would raise the total burden on Chinese imports, if my math is correct, to a staggering 104%. Now, China is reportedly shifting their tactics. Instead of just focusing their economic retaliation on American manufactured goods, they have Hollywood's billion-dollar film industry in their sights.

According to an exclusive report from The Hollywood Reporter, Chinese officials are considering a full ban on the release of all U.S.-made movies in the country Such a move would be a blow to an industry that is still struggling to recover from the damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic, as China represents the world's second-largest film market

But a ban in China shouldn't be completely fatal to Hollywood's bottom line U.S. studios' earnings in China have already declined dramatically in recent years as China increasingly pumps out their own domestic-made films

While the 2019 Marvel film Avengers Endgame, for example, made a whopping, I don't use whopping lightly, a whopping $600 million in China upon release. Boy, did they love that movie. The post-COVID landscape has not proven anywhere near as lucrative. Still, every dollar counts for the film studios, of course, and they still rely on the Chinese market as a valuable revenue stream. Warner Brothers' The Minecraft Movie, for example,

topped the Chinese box office last weekend, pulling in a respectable $14.5 million, representing more than 10% of the international box office haul. Chicken jockey. But China has long been looking for an excuse to diminish the cultural influence of Hollywood as they try to boost their own domestic film industry, and it looks like the tariff war has offered them the perfect opportunity to cut ties with Tinseltown.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday, the 9th of April. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. To listen to the show ad-free and without any tariffs whatsoever, just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.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.