Morning Brief: Admiral Daryl Caudle Becomes Navy’s Top Officer, Air Force Lifts Suspension on M18 Pistols, Coast Guard’s Historic Drug Seizure

· Guy D. McCardle

Crew of USCGC Hamilton offloads over 76,000-lb of narcotics worth $473 million at Port Everglades, August 25, 2025. (@USCGSoutheast/X)

Good morning. Here’s a quick rundown for today’s morning brief, August 26, 2025. The Navy installs a new top admiral, Trump expands the National Guard’s policing role, and a Fed firing sparks a legal showdown. The Air Force clears M18 pistols, the Coast Guard makes a record drug bust, and Israel faces global outrage after striking a Gaza hospital. Abroad, Iran and Russia coordinate on nuclear talks, Rubio leads Ukraine diplomacy, and Germany resumes relocating vulnerable Afghans.

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Admiral Daryl Caudle Becomes Navy’s Top Officer After Trump Admin Fires Predecessor

Admiral Daryl Caudle was sworn in on Monday as Chief of Naval Operations, filling a six-month leadership gap following the Trump administration’s removal of Admiral Lisa Franchetti in February.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has recently dismissed several top military officials without public explanation, oversaw the leadership transition.

Franchetti, the second woman to reach four-star admiral rank, attended the ceremony but was not mentioned by Caudle or Navy Secretary John Phelan.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Phelan described serious institutional challenges in the Navy, including shipyard decay, delays, and inefficiencies. He emphasized a need to refocus on readiness and accountability, aligning with President Trump’s “peace through strength” doctrine — a sentiment Caudle echoed directly.

Caudle pledged to measure success through concrete outcomes like ship readiness, timely deliveries, and weapons production.

Caudle previously led US Fleet Forces Command. His appointment strengthens the Trump administration’s influence over top military posts amid a broader reshaping of defense leadership.

 

Trump Orders Expanded National Guard Role in Civil Policing, Including New D.C. Unit and Nationwide Force

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the Defense Department to expand the National Guard’s role in law enforcement.

The order tasks Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with creating a specialized unit within the D.C. National Guard to enforce federal law and maintain order in the capital. It also calls for establishing a “standing National Guard quick reaction force” trained and equipped for rapid deployment nationwide.

The Pentagon has not yet detailed how it will implement the order.

The move follows Trump’s recent deployments of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, where troops responded to crime concerns and protests, though local data show D.C. crime is at a 30-year low and the Los Angeles demonstrations were largely peaceful.

The executive order suggests Trump is preparing for broader use of military personnel in domestic law enforcement. He has threatened future deployments in cities like Chicago, New York, and Baltimore. While he can deploy the Guard in D.C. unilaterally, actions in other states could face legal challenges.

Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, have criticized the order as an overreach that risks violating constitutional protections and undermining the traditional separation between military and civilian policing.

 

US Air Force Lifts Suspension on M18 Pistols After Inspection Following Airman’s Death

US Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) has completed an inspection of its SIG Sauer M18 handguns and will resume their use following a temporary pause initiated after the death of 21-year-old Airman Brayden Lovan.

The M18, a military version of the SIG Sauer P320, had been under scrutiny due to reports of unintentional discharges in both military and civilian variants.

AFGSC inspected 7,970 pistols and identified issues in 191, including component wear and problems with the safety lever, striker assembly, and sear. Faulty weapons were tagged for repair. The command stated that enhanced inspection procedures will be implemented moving forward, although specific steps were not disclosed.

A review of weapon discharges across the command found no malfunctions as the cause.

The suspension was lifted Sunday after Military.com reported on the development. Security forces will begin using cleared M18s starting Monday. SIG Sauer released a statement supporting the Air Force’s investigation and reaffirming the safety of the M18 platform.

One person has been arrested in connection with Lovan’s death on charges including involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice. Details of the incident remain undisclosed.

 

US Coast Guard Makes Record $473M Drug Seizure with Historic 76,000-Pound Offload in Florida

The US Coast Guard offloaded 76,140 pounds of illicit narcotics worth $473 million at Port Everglades on Monday, marking the largest drug offload in its history.

The haul, including 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana, came from 19 interdictions across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean and represents roughly 23 million potential lethal doses.

The operations involved multiple US cutters, Navy ships, Dutch naval forces, Customs and Border Protection aircraft, and Joint Interagency Task Force-South. Crews interdicted 11 go-fast vessels, detained 34 suspected traffickers, and seized record amounts of cocaine in individual busts.

Coast Guard leaders said the seizures dealt a major blow to transnational criminal organizations by disrupting supply routes and cutting off more than half a billion dollars in revenue.

The effort supports Operation Pacific Viper and the Panama Express Strike Force, which target high-level cartel networks.

 

Trump Fires Fed Governor Lisa Cook, Sparks Legal Showdown Over Central Bank Independence

President Trump announced the immediate dismissal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on Monday, citing mortgage fraud allegations.

Cook rejected the move, asserting that Trump lacks legal authority to remove her.

The firing, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, stems from claims that Cook improperly claimed two primary residences in 2021 to secure favorable mortgage terms.

Cook, appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2022 and the first Black woman on the Fed board, has retained legal counsel and vowed to challenge the dismissal.

Trump’s action, unprecedented in US history, is expected to trigger a legal battle that could reach the Supreme Court and potentially disrupt financial markets. Legal experts argue that “for cause” removal requires due process and typically relates to misconduct while in office. Cook has not been convicted or accused of failing her official duties.

Critics view Trump’s move as an effort to assert political control over the independent central bank. If successful, Trump would shift the Fed board’s balance, giving his appointees a 4-3 majority.

The case raises broader concerns about the politicization of monetary policy, as Trump has vowed to appoint only officials who support lower interest rates. Cook must pursue legal recourse independently, as the Federal Reserve cannot intervene on her behalf.

 

Israeli Strikes Hit Gaza Hospital, Kill at Least 20 Including Five Journalists

Israeli forces struck Gaza’s Nasser Hospital twice on Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more, according to local health officials. Among the dead were five journalists, including Associated Press freelancer Mariam Dagga and a Reuters cameraman.

The second strike hit as journalists and rescue workers rushed to assist after the initial blast.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the incident a “tragic mishap” and said the military was investigating. Israeli media reported troops had targeted what they believed to be a Hamas surveillance camera on the hospital roof, where journalists often set up live broadcasts.

The strikes drew condemnation from the United Nations, Britain, France, and international press organizations, with the Associated Press and Reuters demanding accountability.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said 189 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the war began in October 2023. Israel maintains that Hamas embeds itself in hospitals, though it has rarely provided evidence. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported at least 62,686 Palestinians killed during the war, about half women and children.

The hospital, already overwhelmed by shortages and mass casualties, was left in chaos.

The attack adds to a string of strikes on Gaza hospitals since the start of the war, intensifying international criticism of Israel’s military campaign.

 

Iran and Russia Close Ranks as Europe Threatens UN Sanctions

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran’s nuclear program by phone on Monday.

The conversation occurred as Britain, France, and Germany threatened to trigger the 2015 nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism to reinstate UN sanctions unless Iran limits uranium enrichment and restores cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iranian state media reported upcoming talks with the European trio in Geneva on Tuesday.

Russia opposes reimposing sanctions, calling the European threats destabilizing. Moscow remains a party to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted sanctions in exchange for nuclear restrictions. Iran disputes the legitimacy of the snapback mechanism, citing European noncompliance.

Pezeshkian thanked Putin for supporting Iran’s enrichment rights and reiterated Iran’s stance against pursuing nuclear weapons.

Tehran halted IAEA cooperation after a conflict with Israel earlier this year, blaming the agency for not condemning attacks on its nuclear sites. Iran continues to coordinate closely with Russia and China ahead of nuclear negotiations.

 

Rubio, European Leaders Discuss Ukraine War Endgame and Security Guarantees

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks Monday with European counterparts on diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the State Department said.

Rubio spoke with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, among others.

Sybiha thanked Rubio for his role and praised US President Donald Trump’s “peacemaking leadership.” He stressed that Ukraine requires binding and multidimensional security guarantees, covering military, diplomatic, and legal aspects, with strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces as the top priority.

The discussions follow Trump’s recent summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders.

Trump tasked Rubio with leading talks on establishing concrete security guarantees for Ukraine as part of ongoing peace efforts.

 

Germany to Resume Relocation of Vulnerable Afghans Stranded in Pakistan

Germany will restart its suspended program to admit vulnerable Afghan nationals, ending a months-long freeze that left around 2,000 people stranded in Pakistan, Welt reported Tuesday.

The relocation pause, tied to Berlin’s broader effort to curb migration, faced mounting legal challenges from rights groups and Afghans approved under the scheme. Courts ruled in favor of some applicants, increasing pressure on the government.

The urgency grew as Pakistan set a September 1 deadline to expel documented Afghan refugees, including those awaiting transfer to Germany.

According to government sources cited by Welt, affected families have been notified, and the first arrivals are expected within days. Transfers will be conducted discreetly on commercial flights via Dubai or Istanbul.

The foreign ministry confirmed that verification procedures are resuming, with staff deployed to Pakistan to process cases.

The number of Afghans currently cleared for departure remains unclear.

 

Sources: News Agencies