Abbott Warns Texans as Mexico Erupts After Killing of Cartel Boss ‘El Mencho’
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is urging all Texans to closely monitor U.S. Department of State travel warnings after the killing of one of the world’s most dangerous drug lords sent shockwaves across Mexico — and straight to the Texas border.
On Sunday, the Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes — better known as “El Mencho” — the feared leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a military operation in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco. He was wounded in the raid and died while being airlifted to Mexico City. The takedown was described by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau as the elimination of “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins” in the world.
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes was a feared Mexican drug lord and the leader of a ruthless cartel accused of masterminding efforts to push fentanyl into the United States. https://t.co/g93WhLfLL8 pic.twitter.com/RPHN1CA7gG
— CNN (@CNN) February 23, 2026
But the victory came at a cost. Within hours, cartel members unleashed a wave of coordinated violence across Mexico in retaliation. Burning vehicles blocked roads at more than 250 points across 20 Mexican states. Guadalajara — Mexico’s second-largest city — turned into a ghost town as terrified residents sheltered in place. Schools were canceled Monday in several states, and the international airport in Puerto Vallarta descended into chaos, with travelers sprinting for cover as plumes of smoke rose over the tourist city.
🚨JALISCO, MEXICO🚨A Narco Terror attack has taken place at the Guadalajara International Airport in Jalisco, Mexico. As Claudia Sheinbaum continues to empower the Cartel, more lives are lost in Mexico. Mexico is a failed state.
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) February 22, 2026
Follow:@Carlos__Turcios
pic.twitter.com/GAiBwoOQtI
The U.S. State Department issued an urgent security alert directing American citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León to shelter in place until further notice.
Taxi and rideshare services were suspended in Puerto Vallarta. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada all cancelled or suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
For Texans, this is not a distant crisis. Thousands of Texas residents travel to Mexican beach destinations like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara monthly, and many Texas border communities maintain deep cultural and family ties to the states now under a State Department shelter-in-place warning. The state of Tamaulipas — which shares a long border with Texas, encompassing cities like Reynosa and Matamoros — was specifically named in the federal alert, raising immediate concerns for border-area Texans with family or business in the region.
Governor Abbott has emphasized that Texans should avoid non-essential travel to any affected Mexican states and stay vigilant for updates from federal authorities. The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support for the operation that killed El Mencho, and while officials celebrated the result, experts warn that the cartel’s leadership vacuum could trigger further fragmentation and violence in the weeks ahead — a pattern seen repeatedly when major cartel figures are taken down.
Texans currently in Mexico are urged to visit travel.state.gov immediately for the latest security alerts and to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) if they haven’t already.
If you are in any of the locations outlined in this advisory, please shelter in place until further notice.
— Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (@RepJasmine) February 22, 2026
For families in TX-30 needing assistance getting home, my office stands ready to help. https://t.co/4U26IACQG3 or call (214) 922-8885.
—————
Si se encuentra en alguna… https://t.co/sp4v0ZlXpC
PODCAST
One person was found injured inside a vehicle at Del Valle High School early Monday morning after a shooting in the area, according to Austin police.
Two children were injured after the Mustang Ridge Police Department responded to a multi-vehicle collision Sunday night.
Nearly fifty wildfires are burning across Texas, covering over 33,000 acres. The largest blazes have been in the High Plains and Texas Panhandle.
Some good news out of Bastrop County:
Central Texas fire crews are assisting authorities in the Panhandle.
Several Central Texas fire departments have adopted a new wildfire risk modeling tool to help firefighters better prepare and mitigate wildfire threats.
Strong southerly winds return Tuesday! The fire threat goes up and will likely stay elevated Tuesday-Thursday. pic.twitter.com/SrQ78xmR9g
— Dan Henry (@Fox4Weather) February 23, 2026
Conservative pressure and criticism from UT Austin leadership regarding “overly fragmented” departments have intensified, leading to the recent dismantling of women’s and gender studies. (Austin American-Statesman)
A $1 million increase in funding from President Donald Trump’s administration — plus a record-setting $150 million donation from the Moody Foundation — is empowering Huston-Tillotson University to make significant changes to its campus on the East Side in the coming years. But more than 150 years after the city’s oldest higher education institution was founded, the East Side looks dramatically different than it used to. So, should H-T relocate? And if not, what is its role in a modern-day gentrified Austin? And, why is enrollment at H-T and other historically black colleges and universities growing while it’s declining at other institutions? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by H-T President Melva K. Wallace to discuss.
Just over 6,000 voters cast early ballots in Tavis County Sunday.
Through six days of early voting, 7.22% of registered voters have already done so.
WEATHER
SUNDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
LAKE TRAVIS WEATHER TIMELAPSE
With the March 3 Texas primary just days away, the race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn is reaching a fever pitch on both sides.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. James Talarico drew a remarkable crowd of roughly 1,500 people in deep-red Lubbock over the weekend — a county that hasn’t voted for a Democrat in 50 years — riding a wave of momentum sparked by the viral controversy over his pulled Late Show appearance. CBS’s decision not to air the Colbert interview, citing FCC equal-time concerns, became a boon for Talarico’s campaign, spurring millions of dollars in donations.
HUGE crowd to see @jamestalarico in deep-red Lubbock, Texas.
— Team Talarico (@TeamTalaricoHQ) February 23, 2026
This county hasn’t voted for a Democrat in 50 years. pic.twitter.com/T732JXN5pg
From The New Yorker.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jasmine Crockett — who leads Talarico in polling at 47% to 39% — campaigned in El Paso on Sunday, with Talarico having visited the city a day earlier to hold a news conference outside the nation’s largest ICE detention facility.
On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. Cornyn is fighting for his political life, facing the prospect of being forced into a runoff against Attorney General Ken Paxton or Rep. Wesley Hunt, with Paxton appealing strongly to MAGA voters but carrying years of legal baggage that Democrats hope could make him a more beatable general election opponent.
Great event last night with @CollinGOP. I was honored to be in the presence of so many patriots. https://t.co/kSR3Mn9lxZ
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) February 22, 2026
📍Edinburg, TX
— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn) February 21, 2026
PACKED HOUSE in Edinburg this week!
From law enforcement to farmers to families, Texans know Senator @JohnCornyn fights alongside President @realDonaldTrump to deliver safer communities, lower taxes and put Texas first. pic.twitter.com/ButadLOs1E
Four Republican candidates hit the debate stage in the race for Attorney General. The debate revealed that they have similar positions on policy, but that didn’t stop the political fireworks. Adam Schwager looks at how the debate played out and how it could affect the outcome in the race to replace Ken Paxton.
(Episode from February 22, 2026)
Nine men and women are on trial, facing a number of charges. The first trial ended virtually before it began. Judge Mark Pittman declared a mistrial after discovering that a defense attorney was wearing a graphic t-shirt depicting civil rights protestors. The shirt violated the court’s rules of conduct.
Mexico has agreed to deliver 431.7 million cubic meters of water annually to the United States under the 1944 Water Treaty, a commitment announced last week after sustained pressure from Washington on a government that has frequently fallen short of its obligations.
The deal — confirmed by the U.S. State Department and the Department of Agriculture — follows months of negotiations and repeated threats from President Donald Trump to raise tariffs on Mexican imports if the country failed to meet its water‑delivery requirements. (Texas Public Radio)
A San Antonio man has pleaded guilty to carrying out a $69.5 million real estate investment fraud scheme that federal prosecutors described as operating in classic Ponzi fashion. (FOX 7 Austin)
By the numbers: Cremation surpassed burial nationwide in 2015 — and the gap has only widened since, with the NFDA projecting cremation will continue gaining share.
- In Texas, the burial rate dropped from 43% in 2020 to 35% last year. The cremation rate surged from 50% to 58%.
- Burials also cost significantly more: In 2023, the median price of a casketed burial with viewing and ceremony was $8,300, compared with $2,750 for a direct cremation, according to NFDA data.
Source: Axios
More than 60 high-end homes across the Houston area have been hit in a sweeping burglary spree tied to a South American theft ring.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Behind a career outing from sophomore Dylan Volantis, No. 3 Texas blanked Michigan State, 4-0, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Longhorns (7-0) limited the Spartans (2-3) to five hits, allowing just one baserunner after the third inning.
The win completed a series sweep for Texas.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The Texas Longhorns are off until Wednesday when they host Florida. Tonight in the Big 12, 8th-ranked Houston is at No. 17 Kansas.
NBA: Finally.
Khris Middleton scored 25 points and P.J. Washington added 23 to lead the Dallas Mavericks over the Indiana Pacers 134-130 on Sunday, snapping a 10-game losing streak. (Associated Press)
ON THE SCHEDULE
The Mavericks get today to enjoy that win while Houston and San Antonio are on the schedule tonight.
MLB: The latest podcasts from the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
Brandon Nimmo is a STUD…but where does he fit into the Texas Rangers lineup this season?
(Episode from February 22, 2026)
Brett and Eric talk about the first couple of games and how Imai fared in his first live bullpen against Future Hall of Famer Jose Altuve. As well as Ethan Frey, who has many looking and waiting for this young slugger to break out in his Spring Training Debut. Mike Burrows showed a taste of why Dana Brown went all in to acquire him.
(Episode from February 22, 2026)
Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological illness affecting deer populations across Texas. In this story, researchers share how they monitor, test, and study the disease in the field. Their work helps improve understanding of CWD and supports efforts to maintain healthy wild herds.
