INTERNACIONAL
Abbott surges Texas troopers to border after cartel kingpin’s killing sparks violence in Mexico
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he is surging state troopers to the border and across the state to enhance public safety operations following a spike in cartel violence after the killing of kingpin «El Mencho» over the weekend.
On Monday, Abbott, a Republican, directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to «enhance public safety and homeland security operations» across Texas. He said the surge is in response to escalating cartel violence in Mexico that he believes poses a growing threat to American civilians.
«Mexican drug cartels pose a significant threat to public safety and national security,» said Abbott. «By increasing proactive efforts to defend against cartel violence, Texas will continue to utilize every tool and strategy to protect our state and our nation.»
He vowed that in the face of increased cartel violence, «We will not cower to criminals who impose terror on our fellow Texans and Americans.»
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott visiting the border with the National Guard in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
At the governor’s direction, the state is surging Texas Highway Patrol, Texas Rangers, Criminal Investigations Division, and Special Operations Group resources to the border region to «detect, interdict, and apprehend criminals, and to prevent spillover activity from transnational threats.»
Texas is also increasing its Tactical Marine Unit and Aircraft Operations Division presence along the border to detect and apprehend criminals. Further, Texas is activating additional personnel from its Homeland Security Division and Texas Fusion Center to monitor social media and reports of suspicious activity 24/7.
This comes as cartel violence that erupted across Mexico left 25 Mexican National Guard troops and more than two dozen criminal suspects among the dead following the killing of Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, who was also known as «El Mencho.»
The cartel reacted to its leader’s death with violence across Mexico, placing roadblocks and setting vehicles on fire throughout Sunday.
CRUZ WARNED MEXICO OFFICIALS ‘PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS GOING TO’ ACT IF THEY DIDN’T FIGHT CARTELS
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.» (AP Photo/Armando Solis) (AP Photo/Armando Solis)
Multiple American tourists vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, also told Fox News Digital they unexpectedly found themselves in the middle of a violent cartel retaliation. As airlines canceled flights and authorities issued shelter-in-place orders, stranded visitors reported cars set ablaze, suspected cartel members blocking major roads, and stores ransacked by looters — scenes some witnesses said made parts of the popular resort city feel like «a war breaking out in the streets.»
Witnesses said they were forced to evacuate their rooms, manage with limited hotel food, and even venture outside in search of meals while waiting for Mexican authorities to regain control of the city.
Staying at an Airbnb near a main road, Eugene Marchenko, 37, of Charleston, South Carolina, told Fox News Digital he woke up to blaring horns and saw six cars completely engulfed in flames just outside his balcony. He and his wife, who had arrived in Mexico only a day earlier, were forced to evacuate for several hours, fearing that a nearby fuel tanker, also ablaze, could explode.
EX-NAVY SEAL PUTS ‘DERANGED’ MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL ON NOTICE AFTER VIOLENT WEEKEND: ‘MORE LIKE ISIS’
Smoke billows from burning vehicles amid a wave of violence, with torched vehicles and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states, following a military operation in which a government source said Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as «El Mencho,» was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, Feb. 22, 2026. (screen grab obtained from a social media video. @morelifediares via Instagram/Youtube/via Reuters )
Abbott urged Texans in need of immediate assistance to call the U.S. Department of State or the Texas Fusion Center, the state’s primary tactical intelligence hub.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He said the state is «closely coordinating» with the State Department and FBI as the situation unfolds.
Related Article
texas,mexican cartel violence,immigration,migrant crime,greg abbott
INTERNACIONAL
California allocating $35M to support illegal immigrants amid Trump’s mass deportation agenda
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the allocation of $35 million in state funding to support illegal immigrants as the Trump administration carries out its massive deportation agenda.
Newsom’s office is releasing the money that the legislature set aside in the state budget to help philanthropic partners support immigrant families with food assistance and other resources, according to a press release.
These funds are on top of funds the state already allocated to provide legal resources to those facing deportation.
«While the federal government targets hardworking families, California stands with them – uniting partners and funding local communities to help support their neighbors,» Newsom said in the release. «The urgent need grows as the Trump Administration accelerates mass detention, tramples due process, and funds authoritarian enforcement with over $170 billion. As the Trump Administration chooses cruelty and chaos, California chooses community.»
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the allocation of $35 million in state funding to support illegal immigrants. (Tayfun Coskun/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Newsom said he has been speaking with immigrant families and community leaders about the federal government’s immigration crackdown.
«People are afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go to school or work, and unable to afford groceries,» the spokesperson told CalMatters.
California allocated the money despite significant budget constraints, as Newsom’s office anticipates a $2.9 billion deficit in the coming budget year, according to CalMatters. The state also limited health care for illegal immigrants this year to help make up for a larger deficit last year.
«When federal actions create fear and instability, our responsibility is to show up for families. This investment strengthens local partners who are helping people access legal services and meet basic needs during an incredibly difficult moment,» Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in the release.
Democrat state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, said the funding shows her party will «continue to stand in solidarity with our immigrant families.»
TRUMP TO CUT FEDERAL PAYMENTS TO SANCTUARY CITIES STARTING FEB. 1 OVER IMMIGRATION POLICIES
The legislature set aside money in the state budget to help philanthropic partners support immigrant families with food assistance and other resources. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
«The federal government is waging a war on our communities – and we won’t stand for it,» Gonzalez said. «We are putting money behind an effort to stop the fear, stop the separation of our families and stop violating our basic rights.»
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican, blasted the funding as «absurd.»
«If you were audited by the IRS and found to owe money and back taxes, as a citizen, you couldn’t say, ‘Well, I want a free lawyer to fight the federal government,’» DeMaio told CalMatters.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a major immigration crackdown and has since followed through with that promise through mass deportations.
In June, Trump signed a budget bill that included $170 billion for immigration enforcement, detention and deportation, an investment that aims to remove up to 1 million immigrants from the U.S. per year over four years.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO HALT MORE THAN $10B IN FUNDING TO 5 STATES OVER NON-CITIZEN BENEFIT CONCERNS: REPORT
The funds are in addition to funds the state allocated to provide legal resources to migrants facing deportation. (Pool)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
California state funds set aside for immigration legal services prevent money from being used to help people with serious or violent felony convictions fight against deportations, CalMatters reported.
California laws do not block state corrections staff from moving illegal immigrants who have been convicted of serious or violent felonies to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
«California will never be silent in the face of Trump’s cruel and unlawful immigration raids. We will meet fear and intimidation with courage and action,» Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, a Democrat, said in the release.
Related Article
gavin newsom,california,immigration,immigrant rights,politics,donald trump,law
INTERNACIONAL
Iran president vows defiance as protests build against regime amid US military build up
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Anti-government protests are resurging across Iran, with videos showing students chanting slogans against the regime as nuclear negotiations with the United States are set to resume on Thursday.
A video translated by Reuters showed demonstrators shouting «We’ll fight, we’ll die, we’ll reclaim Iran,» reflecting growing anger towards the country’s leadership.
The renewed unrest follows months of frustration over economic hardship, repression and previous crackdowns, placing additional domestic pressure on the regime as talks unfold. Analysts say the convergence of protests at home, military pressure abroad and a stalled diplomatic track has hardened rhetoric on both sides rather than pushing them toward compromise.
Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Tehran, Iran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Iranian regime, meanwhile, is striking a defiant tone. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would «not bow down» to pressure tied to nuclear negotiations, warning that external coercion would not change Iran’s stance, according to Al Jazeera.
His remarks come ahead of a new round of U.S.–Iran talks set for Thursday in Geneva, confirmed by Oman, which is mediating the discussions. The negotiations aim to address Tehran’s nuclear program amid rising regional tensions, though major disputes remain over enrichment limits, sanctions relief and the scope of any deal.
In a February speech analyzed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment and rejected U.S. demands to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy activity in negotiations.
The analysis, authored by FDD research analyst Janatan Sayeh and Iran Program Senior Director Behnam Ben Taleblu, noted that Khamenei has escalated attacks on Washington’s leadership, calling President Donald Trump a «criminal» for backing Iranian protests and circulating rhetoric likening him to a tyrant.
US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN
An exercise aimed at assessing readiness and rehearsing responses to security threats comes during a second round of talks. ( Press Office of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the United States has expanded its military presence in the Middle East while signaling force remains an option. The deployments have shaped both the tone and urgency of the negotiations, reinforcing that diplomacy is unfolding under the shadow of potential escalation.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff warned Saturday that Iran could be «a week away» from having «industrial-grade bomb-making material,» citing enrichment levels he said are approaching weapons capability.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the public on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, according to Iranian state television in Tehran, Iran, on February 9, 2026. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«It’s up to 60%,» Witkoff said. «They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.» He made the remarks on «My View with Lara Trump,» describing the situation as dangerous and accusing Iran of violating President Trump’s «zero enrichment» red line.
U.S. officials have warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger serious consequences, while Tehran has signaled readiness to retaliate if attacked, reinforcing the sense that negotiations are taking place under intense pressure.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related Article
iran,donald trump,wars,world,world protests
Cerraron más de 500 sucursales bancarias en los últimos 5 años: quiénes todavía prefieren utilizarlas
El detrás de escena de la decisión de Gallardo de marcharse de River Plate: el intento de convencerlo para que siguiera
Venezuela: liberaron a más de 30 presos de El Rodeo I, pero no hay novedades de Nahuel Gallo
‘Therians’, el fenómeno viral sin base que sirve a los ultras para cebar su discurso ‘anti-woke’
Kim Jong-un llamó a «intensificar la revolución ideológica» en Corea del Norte
Gremio de empleadas domésticas negocia nuevo aumento de sueldo
Villarruel cuestionó la apertura de importaciones: «Sin industria, se pasa a depender de China»
“Ahora es la hora de jugarse”: el mensaje de Patricia Bullrich a los empresarios tras aprobarse la reforma laboral
Según un especialista, el precio de la carne se mantendrá alto “entre dos y tres años”
Cómo será el tratamiento de la reforma laboral en el Senado, luego de haber obtenido la media sanción en Diputados
ECONOMIA3 días agoVillarruel cuestionó la apertura de importaciones: «Sin industria, se pasa a depender de China»
- POLITICA3 días ago
“Ahora es la hora de jugarse”: el mensaje de Patricia Bullrich a los empresarios tras aprobarse la reforma laboral
- ECONOMIA2 días ago
Según un especialista, el precio de la carne se mantendrá alto “entre dos y tres años”
