24 FEB 26 SITREP

• A military operation targeting Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” resulted in his death in a helicopter en route to Mexico City after a confrontation that left more than 25 Mexican military personnel dead, with Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense confirming the mission relied on U.S. intelligence support.
• In the aftermath of El Mencho’s death, cartel gunmen carried out coordinated retaliation across central Mexico to northern border regions, including more than 22 violent incidents in Tijuana involving the burning of vehicles and businesses, including a car torched near the Tijuana–San Ysidro border crossing directly in front of U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance cameras.
• Mexican authorities arrested more than 20 suspected cartel members in Tijuana, yet additional vehicles were burned the following day, narco banners were discovered at public schools, and a body was left on a main roadway, signaling continued intimidation and operational capability by CJNG.
• In Jalisco, approximately 1 kilometer from Akron Stadium, a designated World Cup venue, authorities uncovered more than 456 bags of human remains buried in a mass grave, while 103 infantrymen were deployed by naval vessel to Puerto Vallarta to secure resort zones populated by thousands of American residents and tourists.

• Tyler Robinson, accused of shooting and killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, appeared in an online court hearing where his defense team sought to disqualify the Utah County Prosecutor’s Office, alleging a conflict of interest involving a high-level prosecutor whose daughter was present at Utah Valley University when Kirk died on September 10.
• The defense attempted to remove the entire Utah County Prosecutor’s Office from the case, arguing that no screening measures were implemented to address the alleged conflict tied to the prosecutor’s familial connection.
• Judge Tony Graf denied the motion, ruling that the defense failed to establish a factual basis for a conflict of interest and affirming that prosecutorial bias against a defendant is inherent in the role of prosecution.
• Judge Graf emphasized the constitutional right to a speedy trial, referenced advocacy by Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk for timely proceedings, identified March 13 as an available date for extended hearings, and instructed defense counsel to prioritize scheduling to avoid further delays.

• President Donald Trump called on Netflix to remove Susan Rice from its board in a Truth Social post, stating, “Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences,” and questioned her compensation and qualifications.
• The demand followed comments by Susan Rice, a former adviser to President Barack Obama who served on Netflix’s board from 2018 to 2020 and rejoined in 2023 after serving in the Biden administration, in which she said Democrats would not “play by the old rules” with corporations that worked closely with the Trump administration if the party regains power.
• Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos responded in an interview with the BBC, stating, “This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal,” adding that President Trump “likes to do a lot of things on social media,” and confirming he met with Trump in November to present the acquisition as beneficial to the economy.
• Netflix and Paramount are competing to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $83 billion, while the Department of Justice is investigating Netflix’s potential deal over monopoly concerns in the streaming marketplace, with Sarandos noting that there are currently 5 major studios in Hollywood and that a Paramount transaction would reduce that number to 4.