<div>
Federal records show that Turkey’s ruling party held <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7115-Supplemental-Statement-20260712-8.pdf">meetings</a> with high-profile American media voices, including far-Left political commentator <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7115-Supplemental-Statement-20261230-7.pdf">Mehdi Hasan</a> and Neil Patel, co-founder of The Daily Caller and CEO of the Tucker Carlson Network.
The Turkey AK Party&#8217;s Representation to the United States also met with former CIA officer John Kiriakou, the intelligence official who blew the whistle on the agency&#8217;s use of waterboarding and other forms of torture against detainees during the War on Terror.
On March 11, 2026, Turkey’s AK Party Representation to the United States LLC met face-to-face with Kiriakou, and the next day, it held a virtual meeting with Patel. Months earlier, the same office met with Hasan and attended a banquet hosted by the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR has faced scrutiny from Republicans over its historical connections to individuals and organizations associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Those relationships have been examined in congressional hearings, including a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-hearing-pulls-back-curtain-on-muslim-brotherhoods-ties-to-hamas">Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing</a> earlier this month.
The AK Party Representation to the United States is registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and its filings are signed by Halil Mutlu, who has been publicly identified as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s cousin.
In the 12 months covered by its two most recent supplemental statements, the office reported receiving nearly $2.1 million in wire transfers from AK Party headquarters in Turkey. Its reported expenditures included construction, architecture, plumbing, electrical work, staff, and the costs of keeping a permanent political operation running in Washington.
</div>
<div>
The office&#8217;s activity logs repeatedly <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7115-Supplemental-Statement-20250630-6.pdf">describe</a> its meetings using broad phrases such as “Discussion regarding U.S.-Turkey Relations” and “Public Event,” often providing little to no additional information about what was discussed. The entries include the CAIR-NY banquet and an earlier meeting with Kiriakou on April 23, 2025.
The meetings garnered attention because Kiriakou later appeared on Tucker Carlson’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OHs57Om9mE">show</a>. In a July 2026 episode, the two discussed CIA culture, deception tactics, and how the agency treats whistleblowers. The Tucker Carlson Network has also sold Kiriakou’s book, &#8220;The Ultimate Guide to CIA Skills, Tactics, and Techniques.&#8221;
The FARA filings provide a paper trail of meetings between the Turkish party’s Washington operation and a number of politically influential American personalities. It is unclear what was discussed during any of those meetings. The filings record the names, the dates, and the money, but almost nothing about the substance of the conversations.
Patel has rejected suggestions of an improper relationship with Turkey. On Monday, he <a href="https://x.com/NeilPatelTDC/status/2089356754328920090">wrote</a> on X, “These boring and disingenuous smears don’t work anymore. I meet with all sorts of people every week to try to figure out what’s really going on in an increasingly complicated and dangerous world. Unlike so many others, we’ve never taken a dime from foreign interests.&#8221;
</div>

John Kiriakou

Major Media Figures Caught Meeting With Lobbyists From Islamist Country

AK Party

CAIR

Muslim Brotherhood

Neil Patel

The Daily Caller

Tucker Carlson

Turkey

The Trump administration has significantly expanded its intelligence presence in Cuba in recent months, according to people familiar with the plans, as Washington intensifies pressure on Havana&#8217;s communist regime and prepares for a wider range of potential operations.  
Two people familiar with the administration’s efforts told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/04/us-sends-more-intel-assets-to-cuba-01023267">Politico</a> that the United States has increased intelligence assets on the island. One described the move as a significant expansion of the CIA’s presence, while another said the intelligence buildup could serve as a critical step for future operations against the Cuban government.
The sources cautioned that military action remains far from certain. Expanded intelligence collection can support a wide range of operations, including diplomatic pressure, counterintelligence, recruiting sources inside foreign governments, and preparation for possible military contingencies.
The increased intelligence activity comes as the administration has made Cuba a central target of its broader effort to confront hostile governments in the Western Hemisphere, arguing that the communist regime poses a national security threat just 90 miles from American shores.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose family fled Cuba after Fidel Castro’s revolution, has made confronting the Cuban regime one of the defining priorities of his foreign policy agenda. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-reveals-how-cuba-is-trying-to-undermine-america?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Reveals+How+Cuba+Is+Trying+To+Undermine+America">In July</a>, the State Department released a 99-page report accusing Havana of decades of espionage, ideological influence operations, and support for revolutionary movements around the world.
“For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States,” Rubio wrote following the report’s release.
The report argued that Cuba’s greatest strategic success has not been military power but its ability to export revolutionary ideology, conduct espionage, and cultivate influence networks inside the United States and abroad.
The administration has repeatedly framed Cuba as a growing national security concern because of its relationships with Russia, China, and Iran.
During a House budget hearing in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-says-cuba-poses-a-national-security-threat-as-tensions-rise?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hegseth+Says+Cuba+Poses+A+National+Security+Threat+As+Tensions+Rise">May</a>, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that he considers the Cuban regime a threat to the United States after Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) questioned him about Havana’s relationships with America&#8217;s foreign adversaries.
“I do,” Hegseth said when asked whether he believes Cuba poses a national security threat. 
One administration official described Cuba as a major priority for Rubio, who believes Washington has run out of patience with a regime that has resisted years of diplomatic engagement and economic pressure.
The Trump administration has already increased pressure on Havana through renewed sanctions and an energy blockade that has contributed to widespread blackouts across the island. 
Officials have also intensified public messaging against the regime. The State Department’s recent report accused Havana of serving as a hub for Russian, Chinese, and Iranian intelligence activity while maintaining its own espionage networks against the United States.
Although U.S. intelligence agencies have long operated in Cuba, as they do throughout the world, rebuilding capabilities on the island would provide the United States with greater visibility and leverage in the Cuban government’s military, intelligence services, and relationships with foreign powers.
Whether that pressure results in negotiations, internal political change, or a broader confrontation remains unclear. But the expansion of U.S. intelligence activity suggests Washington is preparing for a wider range of possibilities than traditional diplomacy alone.

Cuba. Havana. Theatre Detail

Communist Cuba Is Back In Trump’s Crosshairs

Communism

Cuba

foreign affairs

Foreign Policy

Leftism

Marco Rubio

National Intelligence

Rubio

Spying

State Department

Trump Administration

WASHINGTON — Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte touted a new round of heavy cuts to the agency on Tuesday just hours before the Senate votes to confirm his replacement as President Donald Trump&#8217;s spy czar.
&#8220;Good News,&#8221; Pulte <a href="https://x.com/DNIPulte/status/2082069735118967004">wrote</a> on X on Tuesday. &#8220;In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago.&#8221;
&#8220;The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,&#8221; he added.
ODNI did not immediately respond to a request for comment clarifying how many of Tuesday&#8217;s cuts involved staff firings or staff returned to their home agencies.
The Senate is expected to vote on Pulte&#8217;s replacement, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-outmaneuvers-schumer-on-pick-for-top-federal-prosecutor">Jay Clayton</a>, at 6:30 pm ET on Tuesday evening, meaning that Pulte will likely no longer serve in the role by the end of the day.
Pulte, who came into ODNI with a mandate from President Donald Trump to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office,&#8221; has focused heavily on reducing the size of the agency in recent months. His entrance came shortly after former DNI Tulsi Gabbard announced she would be leaving the agency to help her husband deal with a cancer diagnosis.
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<div id="attachment_1145675" style="width: 791px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hours-ahead-of-his-replacement-as-spy-czar-pulte-touts-more-dni-cuts/senate-holds-confirmation-hearing-for-jay-clayton-to-be-director-of-national-intelligence" rel="attachment wp-att-1145675"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1145675" class="wp-image-1145675 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-781x576.jpg" alt="(Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)" width="781" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-781x576.jpg 781w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-300x221.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-768x566.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 781px) 100vw, 781px" /></a>Jay Clayton appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee during his nomination hearing on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)</div>
Critics argue Pulte <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-pultes-odni-purge-triggers-intel-community-civil-war">forced</a> Gabbard out sooner than expected and say his aggressive cuts will leave ODNI too weak to effectively rein in rogue agencies like the FBI and CIA. Before Pulte arrived, Gabbard had already cut 40% of staff, which left the agency with fewer than 1,400 employees, compared to the estimated 38,000 at the FBI and 20,000 at the CIA.
The Daily Wire previously reported that Pulte was working closely with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), both of whom have argued that ODNI has become an unnecessary layer of oversight over agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
Both Ratcliffe and Cotton are supporters of Clayton, and have publicly praised his nomination.
Ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) accused Democrats of delaying Clayton&#8217;s confirmation despite their earlier criticism of Pulte&#8217;s appointment.
“Now Democrats have the opportunity to replace that acting official,&#8221; Thune <a href="https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-on-jay-claytons-nomination/">said</a> in a statement. “But they’re in no apparent rush to confirm a permanent director of national intelligence. They’ve opposed his nomination in committee. They’ve delayed things here on the floor. And I don’t expect we’ll see a lot of Democrat support for him in the final roll call.&#8221;

Fannie, Freddie IPOs Can Still ‘Very Much’ Happen, Pulte Says

Hours Ahead Of His Replacement as Spy Czar, Pulte Touts More DNI Cuts

Bill Pulte

Donald Trump

Jay Clayton

John Ratcliffe

John Thune

odni

Tom Cotton

Tulsi Gabbard

Reuters reported Wednesday that U.S. intelligence analysts are looking into whether Russia helped Iran strike CIA facilities in the Gulf by providing targeting intelligence or advanced drone technology.
The report, which cited four people familiar with the matter, said analysts have not reached definitive conclusions. But the precision of the strikes and Russia&#8217;s longstanding military support for Iran are among the factors under review. 
The investigation into Moscow&#8217;s possible role in the attacks on CIA sites has not previously been reported.
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-strikes-cia-facilities-prompt-questions-about-possible-russian-role-2026-07-22/?utm_source=braze&amp;utm_medium=notifications&amp;utm_campaign=2025_engagement">Reuters</a> has previously reported that Russia provided Iran with targeting assistance and other military support for attacks on U.S. interests in the Gulf. 
At least two CIA facilities were hit in March, including the CIA station housed inside the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another facility in eastern Iraq. Some sources said additional sites were also hit but did not provide further details. 
One internal memo from a Western intelligence agency, according to a regional official familiar with it, concluded that Russia likely played a role in targeting regional CIA facilities.
Two Western officials in the Gulf briefed on intelligence reports said analysts believe the Saudi attack involved two Russian-enhanced versions of Iran&#8217;s Shahed drones. According to those officials, the first drone breached a vulnerable section of the embassy&#8217;s exterior, allowing the second to fly through the opening before detonating. No deaths or injuries were reported.
While Russia has long supported Iran militarily, helping Tehran target sensitive CIA facilities would mark a significant escalation in Moscow&#8217;s efforts to disrupt U.S. operations amid the ongoing Iran war.
Concerns about Russian assistance intensified after recent strikes on a U.S. military base in Jordan, where Iranian ballistic missiles hit army barracks and killed two soldiers.
Russia has helped Iran improve the range and accuracy of its Shahed drones by supplying the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which is more resistant to jamming than Iran&#8217;s domestic version. The Wall Street Journal first <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-secretly-sharing-location-of-u-s-targets-with-iran-u-s-officials-say-127d4f1a">reported</a> this assistance in March; the Kremlin called the report &#8220;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-03-18/kremlin-says-wsj-report-on-russia-sharing-drone-technology-with-iran-is-fake-news">fake news</a>.&#8221;
U.S. analysts have examined whether Iran relied on Russian targeting intelligence during the embassy attack. Some officials noted that few nations besides Russia would have both the capability and interest in providing such sensitive information against the U.S.
Still, some sources cautioned that Iran might have been targeting the broader U.S. Embassy and struck the CIA station by chance.
Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief and undercover operations officer, said Russian assistance in targeting CIA facilities would be consistent with Moscow&#8217;s strategic partnership with Iran. 
&#8220;They share an interest in trying to reduce or eliminate U.S. influence altogether in their self-designated spheres of influence,&#8221; he said.
The White House referred questions to the CIA, which declined comment. Iran&#8217;s mission to the United Nations, Russia&#8217;s Defense Ministry, and the Saudi government did not respond to Reuters&#8217; requests for comment.
CIA facilities overseas typically include stations in embassies, along with offices, safe houses, logistics hubs, and sites for surveillance or other operations. Their locations remain closely guarded.
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Mideast Iraq

U.S. Investigates Russia’s Possible Role In CIA Attacks

Drones

Embassy

Iran

Middle East

Reuters

Russia

Saudi Arabia

United States

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who helped oversee the intelligence community&#8217;s investigation into alleged ties between Donald Trump&#8217;s 2016 campaign and Russia, sued the Justice Department on Wednesday before prosecutors have even charged him with a crime.
Brennan filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking an order requiring the Trump administration to preserve records related to two ongoing Justice Department investigations examining his conduct.
The move comes as federal investigators continue probing Brennan&#8217;s role in the intelligence community&#8217;s 2017 assessment concluding that Russia sought to help Trump win the 2016 election, as well as whether Brennan gave misleading testimony to Congress about that assessment during testimony in 2023.
No criminal charges have been filed against Brennan. Nevertheless, Brennan&#8217;s legal team argues that any future prosecution would amount to political retaliation by the Trump administration and says preserving government records now is necessary to support what they describe as an eventual defense against &#8220;vindictive and selective prosecution.&#8221;
&#8220;This Administration has adopted a policy of using criminal process and prosecution to punish the President&#8217;s perceived adversaries,&#8221; Brennan&#8217;s attorneys wrote in the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.294102/gov.uscourts.dcd.294102.1.0.pdf">46-page complaint.</a> The filing names President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and several Justice Department officials involved in the investigations. 
According to Brennan&#8217;s attorneys, they fear government officials may fail to preserve internal communications that could be relevant if prosecutors ultimately seek an indictment. The Justice Department declined to confirm whether Brennan is under criminal investigation.
&#8220;While we cannot comment on the existence, or lack thereof, of an investigation, it is certainly rich that John Brennan is accusing anyone of a &#8216;retribution campaign,'&#8221; a DOJ spokesman said to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-cia-chief-john-brennan-sues-trump-administration-demands-court-preserve-investigation-records">Fox News Digital</a>. The investigations into Brennan have steadily expanded over the past year.
One inquiry centers on whether Brennan misled Congress regarding the intelligence community&#8217;s conclusions about Russian interference in the 2016 election. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan previously referred Brennan to the Justice Department for possible prosecution after questioning his congressional testimony.
Investigators have also reportedly interviewed current and former intelligence officials involved in drafting the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that concluded Moscow sought to boost Trump&#8217;s candidacy.
That review has focused in part on whether the controversial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sues-christopher-steele-over-shocking-and-scandalous-claims-made-in-discredited-dossier?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sues+Christopher+Steele+Over+%E2%80%98Shocking+And+Scandalous%E2%80%99+Claims+Made+In+Discredited+Dossier">Steele dossier</a> — a collection of unverified allegations about Trump funded by his political opponents — inappropriately influenced the intelligence assessment&#8217;s conclusions. Brennan has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that the intelligence community&#8217;s assessment accurately reflected Russia&#8217;s efforts to interfere in the election.
A separate Justice Department investigation reportedly examines what prosecutors have described as a broader conspiracy involving Obama-era and Biden-era officials, looking into whether multiple investigations targeting Trump—including the Russia probe and later criminal investigations—were part of a coordinated effort to undermine him politically.
Brennan&#8217;s attorneys argue that those investigations themselves demonstrate political bias. The complaint points to personnel changes inside the Justice Department, including the replacement of a career national security prosecutor with Joseph diGenova, a former Trump attorney who has publicly called Brennan &#8220;evil&#8221; and a &#8220;traitor.&#8221;
The filing also alleges prosecutors attempted to move aspects of the investigation between different U.S. Attorney&#8217;s offices and sought venues that Brennan&#8217;s lawyers believe would be more favorable to the government&#8217;s case.
Rather than waiting to challenge an indictment, Brennan is asking the court to preserve emails, memoranda, witness statements, status reports, and other internal communications that could later become evidence supporting claims that prosecutors acted with improper political motives.
The filing comes as the Trump administration continues investigating several high-profile officials connected to previous investigations into Trump, including former intelligence and FBI personnel involved in the Russia inquiry. 
Whether Brennan is ultimately charged remains unknown. His lawsuit seeks to preserve records he argues could become relevant if prosecutors later bring charges.

CIA Director John Brennan Testifies To Senate Committee Hearing On National Security

Former Spy Chief Behind Russia Collusion Probe Takes Unusual Legal Step

Courts

John Brennan

justice department

Lawsuit

Politics

Russia Collusion Hoax

The Justice Department charged a former CIA official with stealing public money after an FBI raid on his Virginia home uncovered more than 300 gold bars and dozens of luxury watches, according to court documents. 
The FBI arrested David Rush earlier this month and charged him with theft of public money. Investigators say that Rush, who they describe as a senior employee at a government agency with top security clearance, had a stash of 303 gold bars, 35 luxury watches including Rolexes, and $2 million in cash at his home. 
Rush worked for the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/05/28/former-cia-official-arrested-embezzlement-hoarding-more-than-40-million-gold-bars/">reported</a>. 
From November 2025 to March 2026, Rush made several requests to the CIA to &#8220;obtain a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses,” an affidavit from the FBI alleges. He received the currency and gold bars and an FBI search of where the currency was stored only showed a portion remained, the FBI said.
The CIA “has been unable to locate the gold bars or significant amounts of the foreign currency RUSH received pursuant to his requests or to identify the intended use of these funds” and has yet to locate any record “providing information to his employer regarding the disposition of the currency or gold bars that he received for work-related purposes,” the affidavit said. 
Rush’s home was raided on May 18 and he was subsequently arrested the next day. 
The FBI affidavit also accused Rush of providing “false information about his education and military service on his application” to the CIA. Investigators said Rush falsely claimed to have attended both Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Despite claiming to be a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and running a test for a 145-person, 18-aircraft joint Army/Navy weapons test organization, the FBI said that records do not show that Rush &#8220;was ever a pilot for the Navy” and do not “indicate that he underwent any evaluations as a pilot.”
Investigators accused Rush of taking 744 hours of military leave on his official timesheet for about $77,000 in compensation that he should not have claimed. 
The FBI and CIA said in a statement that federal law enforcement had “arrested an individual following a referral from the Central Intelligence Agency. After a CIA internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the FBI for a law enforcement investigation.”

Stack of gold bars

FBI Uncovers Secret Gold Stash During Raid Of Former CIA Officer’s Home

Department of Justice

Gold

An American intelligence assessment leaked to Axios Sunday claims the communist regime in Cuba is plotting an attack against Guantanamo Bay, American ships, and maybe even Key West, Florida.
The Cuban government has amassed more than 300 drones and has since started discussing using them to attack those sites, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/17/us-military-drones-cuba">Axios reported</a>, citing the intelligence. Axios did not provide any further specifics on the nature of the intelligence or where it came from.
Momentum toward a U.S. military action in Cuba appears to be surging, with the Axios report serving as the latest piece of the puzzle. Thursday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba to warn them against attacking the United States, and told government officials that they must abandon their authoritarian system to receive sanctions relief.
The day before, it was reported the Department of Justice plans to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-plans-to-drop-the-hammer-on-former-cuban-president-as-trump-pressures-communist-nation?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Plans+To+Drop+The+Hammer+On+Former+Cuban+President+As+Trump+Pressures+Communist+Nation">unseal an indictment</a> against Cuban leader Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two humanitarian planes from Miami. The legal tactic mirrors that which was used against deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, who the U.S. captured in January after indicting him for his role in narcotics trafficking.
U.S. officials say Cuba has been amassing drones for several years from Russia and Iran, with an increased number coming from Russia in the last month. An estimated 5,000 Cuban soldiers have fought for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, with the Russian government paying Cuba a reported $25,000 per soldier. An official told Axios that the U.S. had intercepted communications that indicate the Cubans are trying to learn from Iran&#8217;s tactics in their ongoing war with the United States.
&#8220;When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it&#8217;s concerning,&#8221; a U.S. official told Axios.

Cuba Celebrates 65th Anniversary Of Fidel Castro’s Attack On The Moncada Barracks

US Intel Claims Cuba Is Plotting Attack Against American Homeland

Military

A report alleging that the Central Intelligence Agency may have played a role in the killing of a Mexican cartel operative has raised new questions about the scope of the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive campaign against transnational drug cartels.
On Tuesday, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico">reported</a> — citing multiple anonymous sources — that CIA officers may have helped facilitate the March 28 killing of Francisco Beltran, an alleged mid-level operative linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Beltran, known by the alias “El Payin,” was killed when an explosive device detonated inside his vehicle while he was traveling on a major highway outside Mexico City. The blast also killed his driver.
According to the report, the strike was allegedly part of a previously unreported expansion of covert U.S. operations inside Mexico, with the CIA’s elite Ground Branch taking part in efforts to dismantle cartel infrastructure. The report claimed that in recent months, agency personnel have participated in several operations targeting cartel figures, sometimes providing intelligence support and, in some cases, allegedly playing a more direct role in lethal actions.
Those claims, however, remain based entirely on anonymous sourcing and have been disputed by officials on both sides of the border.
The CIA issued a rare public denial after publication, with spokeswoman Liz Lyons <a href="https://x.com/CIASpox/status/2054339789243949430?s=20">calling the story</a> “false and salacious reporting.” The Mexican government also moved quickly to reject the allegations. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said in a <a href="https://x.com/oharfuch/status/2054325906945237339?s=46">public statement on X</a> that Mexico “categorically rejects any version that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies on national territory.”
A follow-up <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/world/americas/mexico-cia-cartels.html?login=google&amp;auth=login-google">report</a> from the New York Times offered a narrower account of the same incident. Citing former U.S. officials and others briefed on the operation — also anonymously — the Times reported that the CIA may have supplied intelligence on Beltran’s whereabouts and assisted with planning, but that American personnel were not on the ground and were not directly involved when Mexican authorities carried out the strike.
That distinction could prove significant. U.S. and Mexican officials have publicly acknowledged deepening intelligence cooperation against cartels, including surveillance and targeting support, but both governments have consistently denied that American operatives are conducting direct combat or assassination missions inside Mexico.
The controversy comes as the Trump administration has openly escalated its rhetoric against cartels after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-formally-designates-8-cartels-gangs-as-terrorist-organizations">designating</a> several major trafficking organizations as foreign terrorist groups early into his second term. Trump has repeatedly threatened unilateral action inside Mexico, saying the U.S. would act if the Mexican government failed to dismantle the criminal groups operating along the border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the possibility of U.S. troops operating on Mexican soil, though her government has continued to accept intelligence-sharing arrangements with Washington. That delicate arrangement has faced growing strain in recent months as the administration expands its anti-cartel operations and increases pressure on Mexico to cooperate.
Whether Beltran’s death marks the first public glimpse of a more active phase in that campaign remains uncertain. For now, the episode highlights the murky and increasingly high-stakes nature of the U.S. campaign against organized narco-terrorism, where intelligence cooperation, sovereignty disputes, and anonymous leaks are colliding in public view.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is displayed in

Is The CIA Ramping Up Anti-Cartel Operations Inside Mexico?

Drugs

narco-terrorism

A CIA assessment presented to Trump administration officials this week reportedly found that Iran still possesses roughly 70% of its prewar missile stockpile even after weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The Islamic regime also retains about 75% of its mobile launchers, according to a report from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The Washington Post</a>. An intelligence source familiar with the analysis confirmed its existence to The Daily Wire.
American intelligence officials believe Tehran has managed to reopen underground storage facilities, repair damaged missiles, and continue assembling weapons that were near completion before the conflict began.
Before the war, Iran was believed to possess roughly 2,500 missiles and thousands of drones, according to the Post. Despite launching repeated attacks against Israel, neighboring Arab countries, and U.S. military sites in the region, much of that arsenal appears to remain intact.
The findings appear to conflict with comments President Donald Trump made on Wednesday, when he said Iran’s missile capabilities had been largely “decimated.” 
“Their missiles are mostly decimated, they have some, they have probably 18, 19 percent,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Not a lot by comparison to what they had.”
Iran fired roughly 650 missiles <a href="https://www.ajc.org/news/the-iran-strikes-explained-how-we-got-here-and-what-it-means">at Israel</a> during the latest conflict and another 549 ballistic missiles at the United Arab Emirates, including several launched this week despite a ceasefire remaining in effect. According to the <a href="https://x.com/modgovae/status/2051377052998332472?s=20">UAE Ministry of Defense</a>, the attacks have killed 13 people and injured 227 others.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the administration’s handling of the conflict.
“Operation Epic Fury was an overwhelming success, with our forces executing the mission with unmatched precision and achieving every objective set by the President from the outset,” Parnell said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “This success follows Operation Midnight Hammer last year, which completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demonstrated exactly what American military strength looks like.”
One U.S. official cited by the Post warned that Iran may be more capable of enduring a prolonged conflict than the CIA’s assessment suggests.
“The leadership has gotten more radical, determined and increasingly confident they can outlast U.S. political will and sustain domestic repression to check any resistance” inside Iran, the official said. “Comparatively, you see similar regimes lasting years under sustained embargoes and airpower-only wars.”
The CIA assessment also found Iran may be able to withstand the current U.S. naval blockade for several more months, though the restrictions have sharply reduced oil exports and strained the regime&#8217;s economy.  
Still, the blockade has sharply reduced Iran’s oil exports and placed mounting pressure on the regime’s economy. Experts say Tehran’s remaining options are limited: consume excess oil domestically, store it, or shut down production altogether — each carrying major economic consequences. Production shutdowns, in particular, can permanently damage oil wells and reduce long-term output.
During active fighting with the United States — but before the blockade fully took hold — Iran continued exporting crude through its illicit “ghost fleet,” averaging roughly 2.1 million barrels per day between April 1 and April 13, consistent with prewar levels, according to <a href="https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/iran-war-shipping-update-april-30-2026">The Wall Street Journal</a>. After the blockade intensified, exports reportedly fell to approximately 567,000 barrels per day.
The regime’s desperation became increasingly visible in recent weeks. According to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), Tehran recently reactivated the Nasha, a derelict 30-year-old tanker that had sat idle for years, repurposing it to store oil offshore. Satellite imagery reportedly showed the vessel loading crude near Kharg Island on April 26 before departing days later.
The White House disputed suggestions that the military campaign had fallen short.
“During Operation Epic Fury, Iran was crushed militarily,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to the Post. “Now, they are being strangled economically by Operation Economic Fury and losing $500 million per day thanks to the United States Military’s successful blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian regime knows full well their current reality is not sustainable, and President Trump holds all the cards as negotiators work to make a deal.”
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran are reportedly moving closer to a potential agreement aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran has yet to respond to the Trump administration’s latest offer. The proposed framework is a one-page plan that would formally declare the war over and begin a 30-day negotiation period focused on Iran’s nuclear program, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and reopening the vital shipping lane.

TOPSHOT-IRAN-DEFENCE

CIA Assessment Counters Trump Claim On Iran Missile Losses

The CIA and U.S. military may have employed a secret, never-before-used technology to rescue the second American airman stranded behind Iranian enemy lines.
On April 3, Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle during Operation Epic Fury, triggering a dramatic search-and-rescue mission to save the two crew members.
The pilot was found and rescued in “broad daylight,” but finding the weapons systems officer (WSO) proved far more difficult.
For nearly 48 hours, a &#8220;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116351956955900185">seriously wounded</a>&#8221; American colonel evaded capture by scaling a ridge and hiding inside a mountain crevice as Iranian forces worked to close in on his position, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-everything-we-know-about-the-daring-mission-to-save-an-american-warfighter-in-iran">The Daily Wire previously reported</a>.
President Donald Trump later described the mission as an &#8220;Easter Miracle,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/exclusive-trump-reacts-to-easter-miracle-rescue-of-downed-u-s-airman-260734533647">according to NBC News</a>.
Speculation about how the United States ultimately located the airman has drawn attention online. The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">reported</a> that the CIA used a classified system known as &#8220;Ghost Murmur&#8221; to detect the airman&#8217;s heartbeat from dozens of miles away. In a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrRJimixWEc">podcast</a>, Joe Rogan and guest Duncan Trussell discussed the technology.
“This is science fiction. This is full minority report, science fiction-level technology. We can find a guy&#8217;s heart rate,&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;What sick f*ck invented this?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Joe Rogan: “CIA found the pilot who got shot in Iran by using classified tech called Ghost Murmur and AI that detects human heartbeats up to 40 miles away. What sick f*ck invented this. What else don’t they tell us?”<a href="https://t.co/A3L9fge3CT">pic.twitter.com/A3L9fge3CT</a>
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefiantLs/status/2042391861311258724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;They find this guy&#8217;s &#8230; heartbeat, he&#8217;s hiding in some kind of crevice, and then they&#8217;re able to go extract him,&#8221; Trussell told Rogan. &#8220;Heartbeat says a lot about a person — are they sleeping? Are they like in good shape, bad shape? Bet you can learn so much from a heartbeat.&#8221;
The classified technology &#8220;uses long-range quantum magnetometry to find the electromagnetic signal of a human heartbeat,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">according to the Post</a>, &#8220;and pairs the data with artificial intelligence software to isolate the signature from background noise.&#8221;
“It’s like hearing a voice in a stadium, except the stadium is a thousand square miles of desert,” a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">s</a><a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">ource told the Post.</a> “In the right conditions, if your heart is beating, we will find you.”
CIA Director Jon Ratcliffe did not confirm specifics, but referenced advanced capabilities during a White House press briefing, calling the tools used in the operation &#8220;exquisite&#8221; and unlike anything possessed by other intelligence services.
He described the rescue as a &#8220;race against the clock,&#8221; comparing it to &#8220;hunting a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.&#8221;
Ratcliffe also said the CIA carried out a deception campaign to mislead Iranian forces searching for the downed airman, adding that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran was &#8220;embarrassed&#8221; and &#8220;humiliated&#8221; by the outcome of the mission.
Not everyone is convinced of the government&#8217;s account or the powers behind the alleged technology.
Scientific American, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-quantum-ghost-murmur-purportedly-used-in-iran-scientists/">a popular science magazine</a>, spoke to researchers with expertise in magnetic fields, who describe the story &#8220;as almost certainly not true,&#8221; claiming the described ability of Ghost Murmur &#8220;finds no support in decades of peer-reviewed physics.&#8221;
Chad Orzel, a professor of physics at Union College, said to detect a heartbeat, a Ghost Murmur device would have to sort through more than the Earth&#8217;s natural magnetic field, but with “the heartbeats of the sheep and dogs and jackrabbits—whatever else is running around out there,” according to Scientific American.
&#8220;Quantum atomic transitions obey classical antenna physics,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/AetherCzar/status/2042192828940394668?s=20">Hans G. Schantz</a>, scientist and engineer, posted on X. &#8220;Vastly superior performance, such as that attributed to Ghost Murmur, defies the known behavior of quantum systems.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Quantum atomic transitions obey classical antenna physics. Vastly superior performance, such as that attributed to Ghost Murmur, defies the known behavior of quantum systems. <a href="https://t.co/1U0Ephx05z">https://t.co/1U0Ephx05z</a> <a href="https://t.co/IAqdpGaHe3">https://t.co/IAqdpGaHe3</a>
— Hans G. Schantz (@AetherCzar) <a href="https://twitter.com/AetherCzar/status/2042192828940394668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
“Somebody yanking a reporter’s chain,” Orzel told Scientific American. &#8220;It could be a &#8216;snarky, clever way to say, ‘Of course, I’m not going to tell you how we figured this out.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to alleged Ghost Murmur developer Lockheed Martin, but we have received no reply as of publication.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING🚨: The CIA just revealed its game-changing secret weapon: “Ghost Murmur” — an AI-powered tool that can detect a human heartbeat from MILES away.
It was used for the first time in the field to locate and rescue the downed U.S. airman stranded in Iran, according to the… <a href="https://t.co/OmkdFDfNSq">pic.twitter.com/OmkdFDfNSq</a>
— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) <a href="https://twitter.com/officer_Lew/status/2041646461411094841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>

Human Heart

Did CIA Use Covert Tech To Find Lost Airman?

Global Politics

Joe Rogan

Technology

World

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said during a Wednesday hearing that the United States had moved on the Iranian regime in part because of the &#8220;alarming&#8221; rate at which Iran was building and stockpiling weapons that could have eventually been fired at Americans or American allies.
Ratcliffe took questions from members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the reasons President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had viewed Iran as an imminent threat, saying the regime had been pressing onward with missile development at a rate that American defenses would not have been able to match.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: According to CIA Director Ratcliffe, Iran was developing missiles “at rates that were alarming” and faster than the United States could build defenses. <a href="https://t.co/AXrGBsgtfM">pic.twitter.com/AXrGBsgtfM</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2034300261104033882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) whether Iran was continuing production of both short and midrange ballistic missiles, Ratcliffe&#8217;s answer was a definitive yes.
&#8220;Yes &#8230; continuing to develop them, and at rates that were alarming,&#8221; Ratcliffe confirmed.
&#8220;And what about our ability to respond to those? We have very good defensive capabilities, but it takes time for us to build our defensive capabilities,&#8221; Rounds continued. &#8220;Were they building their offensive capabilities while they were negotiating with us at a faster rate than we could build defensive capabilities?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Ratcliffe declared.
&#8220;Were they continuing to work at and deliver additional resources to terrorist organizations that were affiliated with them in the region?&#8221; Rounds pressed onward.
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; was Ratcliffe&#8217;s reply.
Rounds noted once again that all of this was taking place while Iran was supposedly negotiating with the United States.
&#8220;So in other words, while they were supposedly diplomatically working with us during that entire time, they were continuing with regard to their nuclear intentions, they were building additional missile systems to deliver — or conventional weapons systems — to threaten their neighbors,&#8221; Rounds pieced it all together, saying that the end result could have been far more dangerous when eventually the United States would have been forced to go in and &#8220;clean&#8221; things up.
Rounds further stated that he agreed with the Trump administration&#8217;s assessment that, if such a thing were possible, it would be &#8220;safer&#8221; for the United States to deal with the threat posed by Iran before such capabilities could be fully realized.
&#8220;I agree with that,&#8221; Ratcliffe said.

Missiles, drones, satellite-carrying rockets and air defence systems on display in Iran

CIA Director Lifts Lid On What Iran Was Quietly Building At Blistering Pace

CIA Director: Iran Was Making Weapons At An 'Alarming' Rate, U.S. Defenses Couldn't Keep Up

Senate Intelligence Committee

Before the missiles ever lit up the Tehran sky, the hunt was already over.
For months, U.S. intelligence officials were quietly tracking the movements of Iran’s most powerful men, piecing together a detailed picture of where and when they would gather. Analysts monitored patterns, locations, and leadership schedules — waiting for a rare window when the regime’s top figures would be in one place at the same time.
That window came early Saturday morning in Tehran, when senior political and military leaders assembled inside a heavily guarded compound housing the offices of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the presidency, and the Supreme National Security Council.
According to The New York Times, citing people familiar with the operation and officials briefed on the intelligence, the CIA had tracked Khamenei for months and passed what&#8217;s described as “high fidelity” intelligence on his location to Israel ahead of the strike. U.S. and Israeli officials reportedly adjusted the timing of the operation after learning that multiple senior leaders would be gathered together.
Israel had assessed that those expected at the compound included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Military Council head Admiral Ali Shamkhani, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi, and Deputy Intelligence Minister Mohammad Shirazi, among others.
Around 8 a.m. Tehran time, Israeli fighter jets reportedly took off, armed with long-range precision munitions. Roughly two hours later, missiles struck multiple locations in Tehran, including the leadership compound.
Senior national security officials were gathered in one building, while Khamenei was in another nearby structure, the Times reported. An Israeli defense official claimed that the strike was “carried out simultaneously at several locations in Tehran,” adding that Israel achieved “tactical surprise” despite Iranian preparations for war.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA also confirmed Sunday the deaths of several senior military figures Israel said it targeted, including Shamkhani, Pakpour, and Nasirzadeh.
Hours after Khamenei’s death was confirmed and Iran’s leadership reeled from the blow, Tehran unleashed a volley of retaliatory missiles and rockets toward Israel — fulfilling vows from Iranian officials to launch the “fiercest offensive in history” in response to what they called an unprovoked attack and the killing of their supreme leader. The strikes triggered sustained air-raid sirens across Israeli cities, forcing residents into shelters as air defenses worked overtime.
As of the latest reports, Israeli rescue services and military officials have said that at least ten people have been killed on Israeli soil from Iran’s retaliation — including civilians in Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv — and dozens more wounded across central and southern regions as a result of incoming missiles and intercept debris.
Last June, as plans were being discussed to potentially strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump said the United States knew where Khamenei was hiding and could have killed him. At the time, Trump referred to the Iranian regime as “evil,” underscoring how he viewed the leadership in Tehran.
Months of surveillance and intelligence coordination converged in a strike that reshaped Iran’s power structure in a matter of minutes — and ignited one of the most volatile escalations in Middle East history.

Precision From The Shadows — How The CIA Locked In On Khamenei And An ‘Evil’ Regime

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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