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Un barco con ayuda humanitaria procedente de México entra al puerto, en La Habana, capital de Cuba, el 12 de febrero de 2026. Foto Xinhua

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.»

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.

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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. 

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He said the state is «closely coordinating» with the State Department and FBI as the situation unfolds. 

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President Vladimir Putin said the development of Russia’s nuclear triad was an «absolute priority» Monday as he outlined the country’s stance on its weapons program, according to reports.

Marking Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, the Russian leader spoke about strengthening the country’s nuclear capabilities before presenting state awards to officers involved in the invasion of Ukraine, the Moscow Times reported.

In his speech, Putin referred to the Russian nuclear triad, which is the country’s three-pronged system for delivering nuclear weapons, designed to ensure a credible second-strike capability. 

Putin described its development as «an absolute priority,» saying that it «guarantees Russia’s security and ensures effective strategic deterrence and a balance of forces in the world.»

Putin also emphasized his country would continue to strengthen its army and navy, «taking into account developments in the international situation, based on combat experience gained,» amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

He added that Russia would also «significantly» enhance the capabilities of other branches of the armed forces, increasing their combat readiness, mobility, and ability to operate in all conditions, even the most challenging.

«And, of course, we will accelerate the development of advanced systems for the armed forces,» he added.

Putin’s remarks came after Russia suspended its participation in the New START Treaty on Feb. 5, 2023, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Moscow and Washington.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns the Russian leader has launched «World War III.»

The treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems each country could have.

Russian officials have said they will continue to take a «responsible» approach to managing their strategic nuclear arsenal and would respect previously established limits.

Putin’s announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the Russian leader had effectively launched «World War III» with his invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

«I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him… Putin will not stop at Ukraine,» Zelenskyy told the BBC in an interview Feb. 23.

RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM TALK TO ACTION, TARGETING NATO HOMELAND AMID FEARS OF GLOBAL WAR

Smoke rises over the Kyiv skyline after a Russian attack, Monday, July 8, 2024. Russian forces launched multiple ballistic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets on Monday, Ukraine’s air force said, with explosions felt and heard across the capital, Kyiv. (AP Photo/ Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zelenskyy described the war as part of Putin’s broader attempt to impose a «different way of life» on the world.

«Stopping Putin today and preventing him from occupying Ukraine is a victory for the whole world,» he said.

However, when asked about the possibility of ceding the embattled Donbas region to Moscow as part of a peace deal, he warned that Russia would likely rebuild its military strength within «no more than a couple of years» and launch another invasion.

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«Where would he go next? We do not know, but that he would want to continue [the war] is a fact,» Zelenskyy said.

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