Power in the Shadows: The Daily Briefing on Global Diplomatic Maneuvers

The CIA is now running lethal operations against drug cartels inside Mexico, including targeted assassinations of mid-level members. In our last briefing on the shifts reshaping global alliances, we focused on the overt moves. Today, the most significant power plays are happening in the shadows. Here's what else moved today. In Brussels, the European Union just achieved something rare: unanimity. All twenty-seven members agreed to impose sanctions on both Hamas leaders and extremist Israeli settler organizations. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said it was "high time we move from deadlock to delivery," a clear signal that Europe intends to carve out its own position on the conflict.

Then there's the drone war. The United States and Ukraine have now drafted a formal memorandum for a drone defense cooperation deal. This isn't just about sending more weapons; this is about joint production and technology transfer. One Ukrainian company plans to manufacture over three million FPV drones in 2026. The US, by comparison, will make three hundred thousand in 2025. The apprentice is now the master. And at the UN Security Council, Russia and China just jointly told the US to withdraw its resolution demanding Iran clear the Strait of Hormuz. They called the draft "unbalanced and one-sided," warning it risks escalating tensions.

Moscow is signaling a veto, and Beijing, which had been open to compromise, has now closed the door. The message is clear: the US no longer writes the rules in the Persian Gulf without a fight. Let's go back to Mexico. Because this isn't just an escalation. It’s a fundamental change in strategy. For years, the US approach was built on intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation. That model has just been abandoned. We now have sources confirming direct CIA participation in killing cartel figures like Francisco Beltran, using tactics like explosive devices hidden in vehicles.

A source familiar with the operations put it bluntly: “The lethality of their operations has been seriously ramped up.” The official denial was, predictably, swift. CIA spokesperson Liz Lyons called the reporting "false and salacious," and a "PR campaign for the cartels." But no one in the rooms where these things are discussed believes her. The question isn't whether it’s happening. The question is, what happens when a covert war this close to home is exposed? The diplomatic fallout with Mexico could be catastrophic. But for the decision-makers in Langley, that's clearly a risk they are now willing to take.

Now look at the EU's decision. On the surface, it’s about sanctions. Underneath, it's about sovereignty. Getting twenty-seven countries to agree on anything related to the Middle East has been impossible for years. The fact that they just sanctioned both Hamas and violent settler groups like Amana and Regavim in one move is a profound statement. It’s Europe attempting to act like a unified power bloc. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned Hamas for the "worst antisemitic massacre" since the Holocaust, while Kaja Kallas insisted on sanctioning extremism on all sides.

They are trying to draw their own moral and political lines, independent of Washington. Of course, the targets are unimpressed. Settler leader Daniella Weiss called the sanctions "ridiculous" and "banal." Regavim called it a "badge of honor." They know the sanctions won't stop them. But that isn't the point. The point is for Brussels to prove to itself that it can still act. Covert assassinations in Mexico. Unilateral sanctions from Brussels. A drone partnership that bypasses traditional defense giants. A Sino-Russian bloc solidifying at the UN. These aren't separate stories.

They are symptoms of the same condition. The old architecture of global power is not just cracking—it's being actively dismantled by players who've decided the old rules no longer serve them. The space between diplomacy and war used to be a buffer. Now, it's the battlefield.