Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the U.S.-Mexico border to enhance public safety and homeland security operations after an operation by Mexico’s National Guard led to the death of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes.
Abbott said in his press release that cartels pose a “significant threat to public safety and national security.”
This “surge” will include DPS’s Texas Highway Patrol, Texas Rangers, Criminal Investigations Division, Special Operations Group, Tactical Marine Unit and Aircraft Operations Division. DPS’ Homeland Security Division and the Texas Fusion Center will also see additional staff called up to aid in intelligence gathering via social media and reports from the public.
Moving additional DPS officers is intended to prevent spillover activity from transnational threats.
Following the dead of the cartel leader, violence broke out in several areas of Mexico, leaving American tourists sheltering in place until the situation was safer.
The US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico urged citizens to shelter in place amid “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity in the wake of the Mexican military operation.
Most airports in Mexico are now operating normally, according to the State Department, as it narrowed its shelter-in-place advisory for U.S. citizens. During an early news conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said the situation has 'calmed down.'
Meanwhile security experts are not convinced it is a good time for travelers to take chances, and for those insisting on traveling, patience and vigilance are key since the situation may or may not stabilize.
With many crimes taking place in Mexico during normal periods, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery, there is always a risk of terrorist violence and other activity. The U.S. government has limited ability to help in many parts of Mexico and emergency services are limited or unavailable in remote or rural areas.
U.S. government employee travel restrictions, which U.S. citizens are advised to follow include no traveling between cities after dark, relying on dispatched vehicles from regulated taxi stands or app-based services, driving alone and no driving between Mexican border cities, the U.S.-Mexico border and the interior of Mexico.