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The Cipher Brief: National Security news, analysis and expert commentary.

Killing Mencho

Did the U.S. Supercharge the Hunt for Mexico’s Kingpin of Kingpins?

The National Guard In Mexico Conducts An Operation Following The Death Of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," Leader Of The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, At The Hands Of Federal Forces

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — Exactly who tracked El Mencho, the world’s most wanted and feared drug lord, to a heavily armed safe house in a remote [...] More

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The Open Source Report

Security measures in Jalisco, Mexico amid volatile situation

Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Authorities say romantic liaison led to Mexican cartel leader's death, as Sheinbaum seeks to restore calm

Zelensky says Ukraine has defended its independence on fourth anniversary of war, accuses Putin of ‘playing’ with Trump and the world

Pentagon cautions risks in potential U.S. strike on Iran as Gen. Caine warns of U.S. casualties

U.S. unveils new details on alleged Chinese nuclear test, urges renewed disarmament talks


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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Why Russia’s War Effort Signals Strategic Decline

Walter Pincus

OPINION — “Despite claims of battlefield momentum in Ukraine, the data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains and is in decline as a major power. Since February 2022, Russian forces have [...] More

Walter PincusFine PrintFine Print

Building the Talent Pipeline for America’s Security Future

Dr. Jerry Laurienti

OPINION – Public service, at its core, is bigger than government service alone. Serving one’s country takes many forms, and in a time when the federal workforce is shrinking, recognizing the breadth of these opportunities [...] More

Dr. Jerry LaurientiInternational
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News & Analysis

Tracing the Evolution of Russian Hybrid Warfare

Tracing the Evolution of Russian Hybrid Warfare

KREMLIN FILES/ANALYSIS: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 did not emerge from a strategic vacuum. It was the culmination of [...] More

EuropeUkraine

Opinion

EU Takes Aim at Tehran: IRGC Terror Listing Opens New Front in Europe’s Iran Policy

Michael Jacobson

EU Takes Aim at Tehran: IRGC Terror Listing Opens New Front in Europe’s Iran Policy

OPINION — On January 29, Europe found its voice against Iran’s apparatus of terror. The European Union (EU) announced that it is adding Iran’s [...] More

Middle EastEuropeAlternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

The Struggles for a Two-State Solution – An Israeli Perspective
The Struggles for a Two-State Solution – An Israeli Perspective

The Gray Man’s Back—And the Body Count’s Rising
The Gray Man’s Back—And the Body Count’s Rising

Putin’s Long Shadow Over Post-Soviet Russia
Putin’s Long Shadow Over Post-Soviet Russia

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The Best National Security Gossip

WHAT WOULD PETRAEUS SAY? — More than 195K people (and counting) have now watched The Cipher Brief’s YouTube interview with former CIA Director General David Petraeus (Ret.). We caught up with the general in Munich earlier this month at the Munich Security Conference, just after he stepped off the train from Ukraine, (where he’s traveled some nine times since Russia’s full-scale invasion). In our very popular conversation, Gen. Petraeus offered new insights into Ukraine’s drone program, with an eye toward both the innovation that continues to happen in the battlespace (particularly in the no man’s land along the border) as [...] More

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Events

Live Events

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of March 13, 2026. This Black-Tie event is invite only, please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 13 March, 2026

Podcasts

State Secrets



Former CIA Chiefs of Station Ralph Goff and Glenn Corn have spent a lot of time on the ground in Ukraine. In this State Secrets podcast episode, they share details on what they’re seeing there now that isn’t making the headlines. Get the raw reporting with Goff and Corn in this special edition of the State Secrets Podcast.

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment


David McCloskey, former CIA Analyst turned novelist is out with his fourth book, The Persian, about an Iranian dentist who is recruited by Mossad to take on a dangerous mission inside Iran. Cover Stories Host Suzanne Kelly digs in on how McCloskey’s real-life Intelligence background fueled his latest novel, and discovers a few of McCloskey’s own secrets along the way.