The Wire - February 25, 2026

//The Wire//2200Z February 25, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MEXICAN TRUCKING UNION BEGINS LABOR STRIKE DUE TO CJNG AMBUSHING DRIVERS ON HIGHWAYS. AMERICAN FORCES CONTINUE SURGING INTO MIDDLE EAST AS NEGOTIATIONS LOOM. CUBAN FORCES KILL 4 AMERICANS IN SMALL BOAT DURING SKIRMISH IN CUBAN WATERS.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----   -International Events- Middle East: The surge of American forces into the region continues, with non-stop flights of C-17's and C-5 cargo aircraft transferring supplies into CENTCOM. Fighter aircraft movements continue as well, with another flight of F-22's departing the United States for Lakenheath overnight, to supplement the 12x F-22's which transitioned to the Middle East a few days ago. Analyst Comment: On the diplomatic front, negotiations between the United States and Iran are scheduled to take place tomorrow in Geneva. So far no real word how things might go, but if the prior negotiations are any indication, stalling for time will probably be a main goal of all parties involved. Caribbean: This afternoon the Cuban Embassy released a press statement confirming that 4x Americans were killed during an incident that took place in Cuban waters just north of Cayo Falcones. Cuban forces reportedly attempted to interdict an American speedboat, and when approached by Border Guard forces, the passengers onboard the vessel began shooting. The Cubans returned fire, killing 4x passengers and wounding 6x others. Analyst Comment: As this is a developing incident at the time of this report, nothing is known beyond the initial press release as posted by Cuba. No American agency or diplomatic post has commented on the situation yet, and the details of what happened are single-source reporting (from the Cuban government) at the moment. More information is expected throughout the evening as the situation develops. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: In Mexico, the situation remains tenuous as clashes have continued between Cartel and Government forces over the past few days. Random roadblocks and skirmishes pop up sporadically around the country, which have made travel unpredictable for many throughout the region. Government forces have continued raids in the wake of the initial targeting of El Mencho. Yesterday, the Mexican government confirmed the death of El Tuli, El Mencho's Operations Chief, who was killed in a similar raid as his boss. Removing the OPs guy from the CJNG the day after El Mencho was killed probably stunted the response to the initial raid, however random ambushes continue on the highways, largely unabated. These ambushes usually seek to target large semi-trucks, which Cartel members use to block roadways via setting on fire. As a result, this morning, the Mexican Alliance of Transportation Organizations A.C. (AMOTAC, the largest trucking union in Mexico), declared a labor strike due to a total of six truck drivers being murdered in these ambushes throughout the country over the past two days. This strike has largely taken the form of truck drivers refusing to drive, with some even setting their own trucks on fire, before the cartel has the chance to do it. These types of labor strikes are common throughout Mexico, as highway robbery is a common threat throughout Latin America. Consequently, logistical problems are very likely nationwide throughout the next few days, as CJNG forces engage in the time-tested guerilla warfare tactics that made them famous. Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT// Bibliography, Sources, and Research - TAF for Tehran, Iran: https://metar-taf.com/taf/OIIE United Kingdom 1: https://x.com/BasilTheGreat/status/2025854212563705960 Mexico 2: https://x.com/LaCapitalNews/status/2026707024654844162 Middle East 1: https://x.com/ArmchairAdml/status/2026725771704713391 Middle East 2: https://x.com/GlobeSentinels/status/2026706588816343329 Cuba 1: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24drvj8yl2o Cuba 2: https://x.com/EmbaCubaUS/status/2026732911114760673 Mexico 3: https://x.com/anthonyt590361/status/2025723519321911323 Obsidian Internal Links: [[The Wire - February 2, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 3, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 4, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 5, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 6, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 9, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 10, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 11, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 12, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 13, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 16, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 17, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 18, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 19, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 20, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 23, 2026 - PRIORITY]] [[The Wire - February 24, 2026]] [[The Wire - February 25, 2026]] Tags: #Iran #Cartel #Narco