White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt now announced and confirmed, following today’s military operation in Mexico which resulted in the elimination of CJNG Cartel leader El Mencho, carried out by the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense. That the operation was carried out with intelligence support from the United States, with her stating:

“The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated. ‘El Mencho’ was a was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland. Last year, President Trump rightfully designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — because that’s exactly what it is. In this operation, three additional cartel members were killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested.

President Trump has been very clear — the United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved.

The Trump Administration also commends and thanks the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation.”

Cmdr. James Koffi, the Commanding Officer onboard the USS Truxtun (DDG-103), has been relieved of his duties by the Commander of U.S. 4th Fleet, Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, citing “loss of confidence,” following a collision between the Truxtun and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) during an underway refueling in the Caribbean Sea on February 11.

Two pair of KC-135R/T Stratotankers, FRESH61/62/71/72, which departed earlier from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, are currently heading southwest over the South China Sea, possibly towing bombers or fighters while strangely avoiding land, with the tankers preparing to enter over the Indian Ocean, likely enroute to Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut evacuated dozens of staff members today from Lebanon as a “precautionary measure in light of the anticipated regional developments,” likely related to escalating tensions with Iran, according to LBCI.

According to AFP, citing French security sources with knowledge on the matter, the Russian shadow fleet tanker Boracay, which was seized by French authorities this past September, had two Russian security personnel on board. The presence of the two men, one of which previously worked for Wagner, was to “ensure the protection of the vessel and, above all, to make sure the captain strictly followed the orders given in line with Russian interests.” The men’s names are Aleksander T., 34, and Maksim D., 40, and were allowed to continue with the vessel, now renamed Phoenix, to Rizhao, China where it is now docked.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) seen arriving earlier today at Crete Naval Base in Souda Bay, Greece, for a multi-day port visit, allowing the ship to replenish supplies and the sailors onboard to rest prior to continuing her journey towards the Eastern Mediterranean near Israel.

Two KC-135R/T Stratotankers with the U.S. Air Force were spotted on the ground earlier today at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, in a possible rare positioning of American military aircraft in Israel for strikes against Iran.

As President Donald J. Trump his administration continue to debate a potential large-scale strike campaign against Iran, an unlikely figure has reportedly appeared as a major voice of opposition to renewed strikes on Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan “Raizin “Caine, has been advising President Trump and top officials that a military campaign against Iran could carry significant risks, in particular the possibility of American causalities and becoming entangled in a prolonged conflict in the Middle East, two sources with knowledge of those internal discussions tell Axios.

While Caine was all-in on the Venezuela operation, he has been more cautious in the discussions around Iran, two sources said, with one described Caine as a “reluctant warrior” on Iran.

One source said Caine was not advocating for a strike but will support and execute on any decision President Trump makes, while another source with direct knowledge of Caine’s thinking said the chairman is not skeptical about a military campaign but “clear-eyed and realistic” about the chances for success and about what could come next after a war starts with Iran.

President Donald J. Trump doesn’t seem to be too pleased with today’s stories by several media outlets about Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan “Raizin” Caine’s skepticism regarding renewed strikes against Iran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Numerous stories from the Fake News Media have been circulating stating that General Daniel Caine, sometimes referred to as Razin, is against us going to War with Iran. The story does not attribute this vast wealth of knowledge to anyone, and is 100% incorrect.” Further adding, “Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so. I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don't make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them.”

The Pentagon has received no orders to deploy any medical vessels or other ships with the U.S. Navy to Greenland, despite President Trump’s claim Saturday that a hospital ship is “on its way” to the self-governing Danish territory in the Northern Atlantic, U.S. officials have told the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. Navy’s two hospital ships, the Norfolk-based USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) and the San Diego-based USNS Mercy (T-AH-19), which are designed as floating medical treatment facilities, are both currently in the yards in Mobile, Alabama. The Comfort is undergoing repairs that are expected to be completed in April, while the Mercy is in the middle of a one-year maintenance period that began last July.

Spokesmen for the Navy and the Pentagon referred questions regarding the post to the White House, while White House Spokeswoman Anna Kelly only referred to Trump’s post Saturday on Truth Social.

President Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with what aides describe as the limits of military leverage against Iran, with military planners telling the President that any strike on Tehran's assets would almost certainly not be a singular, decisive blow, instead, limited strikes could open the door to a wider confrontation - one that risks drawing the United States into a protracted conflict in the Middle East. according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CBS News.

Four years…

Six F-16CM Fighting Falcons with the U.S. Air Force’s 13th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Wing, stationed at Misawa Air Base in Northern Japan, were transferred Monday to Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, supported by half a dozen KC-135R/T Stratotankers from Kadena Air Base. All of these F-16s are configured to carry out “Wild Weasel” Missions, also known as Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD).

After several days of delays due to tanker issues, F-22 Raptors with the U.S. Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing have begun to depart RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England this morning to continue their journey onto the Middle East, supported by several KC-135R/T Stratotankers and KC-46A Pegasus from RAF Mildenhall.

Video credit: @TallGlenn85

Final flight of the 12 F-22 Raptors departing RAF Lakenheath in England this morning bound for the Middle East.

Video credit: @TallGlenn85