Guests - Betsy Smith, Jared Knott, James Nintzel, Mike Jette, Charles Heller

Mexico's Extradition of Cartel Leaders Shows Positive Shift in US-Mexico Relations

The diplomatic relationship between the United States and Mexico appears to be improving under the Trump administration, with Mexico recently extraditing 29 cartel leaders to the US. According to Betsy Brantner Smith, national spokesperson for the National Police Association, this action demonstrates the effectiveness of President Trump's tariff threats.

"For the people who want to say, 'Oh, tariffs don't work.' They not only work for commerce, but they work for things like stopping the Mexican cartels from flooding our country with additional criminals with fentanyl, with prostitution," Smith explained.

Among the 29 cartel figures is Rafael Caracuintero, a notorious criminal who was responsible for the 1985 death of Kiki Camarano, an American DEA agent. Camarano, who was born in Mexico and became a US Marine, firefighter, police officer, and eventually a DEA agent, was tortured and murdered. His story is commemorated during Red Ribbon Week every October in American schools.

Smith noted that Caracuintero had been sentenced to 40 years in Mexico but was inexplicably released early. Now extradited to the US, he is expected to spend the rest of his life in an American prison.

This extradition is likely a response to President Trump's threatened 25% tariff on Mexican imports. The president of Mexico appears to be cooperating to avoid these tariffs, while simultaneously addressing the cartel issue that has plagued both countries.

"This is a great start. And we're so appreciative of Pam Bondi and President Trump and Derek Malph, who's our acting administrator for the DEA. This is extraordinary stuff," Smith said.

The cartels have deeply infiltrated Mexican culture, parts of the Mexican government, and the military. US Border Patrol and Arizona Game and Fish personnel have reported being shot at by cartel members on the southern border. The criminal organizations are responsible for the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States and operate in at least 60 different countries.

Smith believes this extradition signals that Mexico is serious about combating the cartels and improving relations with the United States. "If you cooperate with President Trump, he's going to be your best friend when it comes to all these things. And it will do nothing but elevate our relationship with Mexico."

ATF Agents Moving to FBI: Strategic Shift in Federal Law Enforcement

In a significant restructuring of federal law enforcement, Kash Patel is moving approximately 1,000 ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) agents to the FBI. This move, according to Smith, will help refocus these agents on fighting crime rather than regulating lawful gun owners.

"This is what we love about Kash Patel... he wants to put these federal law enforcement officers back where they want to be, which is hunting down bad guys," Smith explained.

Patel, who serves as both the head of the FBI and the ATF in the Trump administration, plans to temporarily assign about 150 of these agents to field offices along the southern border. There, they will work to stop the flow of illegal firearms crossing the border as part of a coordinated effort against cartel activities.

Despite criticism from the Giffords Foundation, which claimed that "the ATF is the only federal law enforcement agency stopping gun traffickers from flooding communities across the country," Smith argues that the restructuring will actually make people safer by improving coordination between different federal agencies.

"Guns, drugs, and prostitution all go hand in hand... and what Kash Patel is doing is he is going to chip away at all of those in a very coordinated effort," Smith said. "When if they coordinated properly, we would be much more effective. And I think that's what the entire... federal law enforcement will be doing."

Charles Heller, appearing later in the program, echoed Smith's sentiments, suggesting that the move makes sense because "they need more FBI agents. They don't need more ATF agents."

Heller noted that most crimes involving firearms are not crimes where the gun is a planning instrument but rather an implementation tool. "The gun is used in the implementation of the crime. The gun is not a planning instrument. So if you're going after the crime, you have to look at the root of it."

Progress in Russia-Ukraine Peace Negotiations

The Russia-Ukraine conflict, now in its third year, may be moving toward resolution as Trump and Putin engage in ceasefire discussions. Jared Knot, author and historian, provided insights into the current state of negotiations.

Russia has occupied approximately 18-20% of Eastern Ukraine and is asking for another 20%. According to Knot, Ukraine joining NATO is likely off the table, and Crimea will probably remain under Russian control, as will the eastern 18% of Ukraine that Russia currently occupies.

"I'm optimistic that step by step, increment by increment, they'll be able to work out something that is agreeable," Knot said. However, he cautioned that this would only be phase one. "Phase two is, of course, Putin has violated every single agreement he's ever made. His signature on these papers is just absolutely worthless."

Knot suggested that there would need to be a system in place, both militarily and economically, to incentivize Putin to abide by any treaty. He noted that Ukrainian President Zelensky's position - that Ukraine does not recognize occupied territories as Russian - may be impractical given the realities on the ground.

"We may have a player from Zelensky who is reluctant to settle because that means he's going to be the end of his position of power," Knot said, adding that Zelensky has eliminated elections, rival parties, and independent news media in Ukraine, making him increasingly unpopular with his own people.

The US envoy, referred to as Whitcoff in the discussion, reportedly found Putin to be "gracious," "straightforward," and "reasonable" during recent talks. Beyond just ending the conflict, the two sides are exploring broader cooperation, including integrating energy policies in the Arctic, sharing sea lanes, collaborating on artificial intelligence, and sending natural gas to Europe together.

Knot emphasized the human cost of the conflict: "We're talking about a war that's going on now for three years and causing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of most of the young men to be killed. It's just got to be brought to an end."

US Law on Domestic Terrorism and Tesla Dealership Attacks

Recent attacks on Tesla dealerships across the country have raised questions about domestic terrorism laws in the United States. Mike Jettie, an attorney and prosecutor, explained that while there is no specific crime called "domestic terrorism," actions targeting Tesla properties could qualify as domestic terrorism acts.

"If you're throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla dealership, I would think that that qualifies as domestic terrorism, because your actions could lead out against Tesla car," Jettie said. "Their whole goal is to have an impact on a political impact on the way the country's going. And those all qualify under the statute as potential domestic terrorism."

The motivation behind these attacks appears to be opposition to Elon Musk's involvement with the Trump administration on government efficiency initiatives. Jettie explained that prosecutors would need to prove not only the basic crimes (arson, criminal damage) but also the intent to influence government policy or actions.

While no deaths have been reported in these attacks, Jettie noted that the potential danger to human life meets the threshold for domestic terrorism: "When we throw a Molotov cocktail at Tesla, I mean, who knows who's walking by, who knows who the firefighters, you have to put it out... Cars blow up, debris, firefighters have to put it, extinguish them. You've got stores and businesses adjacent to these."

The distinction between vandalism and terrorism hinges on the potential threat to human life. "If I spray paint on the building of Tesla, you know, whatever I want to spray paint, that's not a terrorism act because there's no human life in play," Jettie explained.

Judicial Injunction on Deportations and the Legal Process

A federal judge has temporarily halted the deportation of certain criminal immigrants, creating tension between the judicial branch and executive deportation efforts. Mike Jettie provided perspective on this legal challenge.

"The court is not saying no to the president. The court just needs some time, some breathing room, catching their breath to figure out is this appropriate, is this appropriate action?" Jettie explained. "No one's saying no, they just need some appropriate time."

Jettie emphasized that the injunction is only for two weeks, giving the court time to review the legality of the deportation orders. "I think a two-week injunction is not the worst thing in the world as long as we get it right," he said.

This judicial review comes at the same time Mexico has extradited 29 cartel leaders to the US, suggesting that international cooperation on criminal matters continues despite the temporary domestic legal hurdle.

Jettie noted that the extradition process is typically "horrific" and can take years, with many of the recently extradited cartel members having cases dating back to the early 2000s. The fact that Mexico has now turned these individuals over to US authorities represents a significant shift in cooperation between the two countries.

Tucson Voters Reject Proposition 414

The show also touched on local politics, with Jim Nincelon from the Tucson Sentinel discussing voters' overwhelming rejection of Proposition 414, a proposed sales tax increase in Tucson.

"The city had had a pretty good winning streak on persuading voters to support things like temporary sales taxes for roads and for public safety and the zoo. And they even supported the pay raise for city council members. This was clearly a step too far for the voters," Nincelon explained.

Unlike previous tax proposals, this one faced opposition from the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, which spent over six figures campaigning against it. The proposition was defeated in all but one precinct, and even there it passed by less than 51%.

Opposition to the tax came from multiple directions. Some conservatives and business interests objected to higher taxes. Others questioned whether the city council would use the money as promised, pointing to past failures to fund police and fix roads despite having the budget to do so.

"You had people from the left saying, 'We don't want to fund the police.' You had conservatives... You had the business community... You had local law enforcement come out against this," noted Kathleen Winn. "You definitely saw a coalition of people come out and say, 'Not now.'"

Nincelon suggested that the city will need to find alternative funding sources, especially as federal and state funding is likely to decrease under the Trump administration.