There are a lot of different ways to make the point that securing the border is the single most important goal that the United States can pursue at the moment. You can point to the horrific crimes that are committed by illegal aliens. You can talk about the crowded job market, or welfare programs that are being overloaded, or the fact that housing becomes much more expensive when tens of millions of new residents move into the country. This is all very important and very familiar territory.
But in the wake of the cartel violence that’s unfolding throughout Mexico, there’s a new way to illustrate just how important our border is, and how volatile our hemisphere has become. Take a look at this graphic. It’s from a map on the official website of the U.S. State Department. So you can check me on this, if you pull up the State Department website right now.
U.S. Department of State, International Travel Advisory Map
The map shows a portion of the southern United States, bordering the Gulf of America, along with several states in Mexico. And as you can see, the Mexican states are shaded with various colors. Directly bordering Texas, the Mexican state of “Tamaulipas” is shaded in a very deep red. And that deep shade of red is a “Level 4 travel advisory,” which is the highest level that the State Department has.
Just to be clear about the significance of a Level 4 designation — It means that you should not travel to this particular location, under any circumstances, for any reason. And if you decide to travel to a Level 4 location anyway, the State Department advises that you “consider hiring a professional security organization, prepare a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and power of attorney,” and develop a “communication plan” that should “include a ‘proof of life’ protocol with loved ones so that if you are taken hostage, detained, and/or tortured, your loved ones will know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to confirm you are still alive.”
U.S. Department of State, International Travel Advisory Map
Other Level 4 Countries include Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
That’s the status of a Mexican state that sits directly on the Texas border. You may not have heard about this, because no one in our government has mentioned it. But it’s true. According to our State Department, the United States borders a state that’s as dangerous as a warzone filled with jihadis. This Level 4 No-Go Zone isn’t located thousands of miles away, in the Middle East. There’s no ocean separating us. The narco terrorists in this Mexican state are seconds away from entering the country via Brownsville, McAllen, or Laredo. Many of them, of course, have done so.
And now that Mexico has descended into open warfare over the killing of “El Mencho,” the head of one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels, the risk is greater than it’s been at any point in recent history. Dozens of Mexican police and National Guardsmen are dead. Stores are being looted and set on fire.
In case you needed a reminder why border security is important and why we shouldn’t allow 10 million people to come across the border unvetted, this is Mexico right now: pic.twitter.com/rggfvJ72dX
— America (@america) February 22, 2026
Credit: @america/X.com
Puerto Vallarta is a war-zone, many Canadians and tourists are trapped in their resorts and villas as CJNG cartel and security forces battle on the streets. pic.twitter.com/kLqNwjCjiZ
— Toronto Crime Watch (@CrimewatchTO) February 22, 2026
Credit: @CrimewatchTO/X.com
What’s significant about the latest bloodshed in Mexico is that, historically, cartels have avoided direct attacks on tourist destinations. Tourism is central to Mexico’s economy. It accounts for around 10 percent of their GDP and employs millions of people. Cartels would lose a lot of money, and a lot of domestic popularity, if they made it unsafe for foreigners to travel to Mexico on vacation. So there’s been a tendency for cartels to stay away from the “golden goose,” and leave the foreign travelers alone.
That’s all changing now. Because the cartels are killing people and torching vehicles, tourists in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara are being forced to shelter in place. Their flights have been canceled. Cabs won’t pick them up. And military helicopters are buzzing around their resorts.
Watch:
American tourists are stranded in Mexico after violence erupted in multiple cities. David Miranda, who lives in Chicago but was visiting Puerto Vallarta, tells @jaketapper he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to return home. pic.twitter.com/olrhAyGfTR
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) February 23, 2026
Credit: @TheLeadCNN/X.com
😨 Scared American tourists are stranded in chaotic Mexico after a Drug Kingpin’s assassination. https://t.co/MfdJrTCWUD pic.twitter.com/5Bs44vmawb
— TMZ (@TMZ) February 23, 2026
Credit: @TMZ/X.com
🇲🇽🇺🇸 American tourists in Guadalajara were told to shelter in place during a cartel lockdown
Instead they went for a walk, found a restaurant, and did a photo shoot
She called it “always an exciting adventure”
These people have ZERO survival instinctspic.twitter.com/7cgMJbDAIV https://t.co/h0XYB0GYfQ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 24, 2026
Credit: @MarioNawfal/X.com
🇲🇽A Mexican Army helicopter operating over Puerto Vallarta against CJNG yesterday.
This is a beach resort town.
The fact that military choppers are running combat ops over tourist hotels tells you everything about where Mexico is right now.pic.twitter.com/0gI4nEiSVT https://t.co/bbuHOwCrMC
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 24, 2026
Credit: @MarioNawfal/X.com
As dramatic as these stories are, they pale in comparison to the plight of Platinum Elite Marriott members with over 1,000 confirmed lifetime reservations, who are currently staying in Mexican resorts that are rapidly running out of food — and availability. This is a post from the Marriott subreddit.
Credit: Screenshot, Marriott subreddit
Westin Puerto Vallarta won’t honor late check out with streets closed. I am platinum elite, with over 1,000 lifetime Marriott nights. Puerto Vallarta is on fire due to cartel setting cars and buses on fire all over the city. The airport is closed and Ubers and Taxis are not running. I asked for a 4 PM checkout, which I’m entitled to, based on availability. They won’t extend past 2 PM and said we would have to use the hospitality suite. We are supposed to be leaving for Bucerias this afternoon but that isn’t looking very good. Worst Bonvoy property I have ever experienced. I don’t think anyone will be checking in today, so there’s no reason not to at least extend us to 4 PM.
I had to check to confirm this was real, and indeed, it is.
Most of the posts in the Marriott subreddit sound the same. One person responded with this.
We are literally sitting on a plane in Guadalajara airport and are not moving. Been here for 20 ish minutes now. A large black cloud of smoke was near the airport. My advice, stay inside and don’t try to go out.” Another person writes, “Start tracking your expenses from that point onward so you can file a claim with your travel insurance.
It’s easy to mock these posts, but the reality is, this sentiment is extremely bad for Mexico’s economy. Well-off, entitled morons are the backbone of any tourism industry. They’re the ones who spend unreasonable amounts of money when they go on vacation. And Mexico is supposed to host the World Cup in, what, four months? So many, many more tourists are about to stream in. The fact that the cartels no longer care about this revenue is a sign that our Southern border has just become much more dangerous and much less stable.
Just a year ago, Canadian politicians and outlets were encouraging people to vacation in Mexico, instead of Florida. Supposedly, it was a way to “get back at Trump.”
Credit: National Post/CBC News
You can see the headlines there.
One of them reads, “Why Canadians should go to Mexico Instead of Florida.”
Another headline, from the Canadian state broadcaster CBC, says, “More Canadians head to Mexico for winter getaways: Vacation travel to US down as Canadian tourists make strategic decisions on where to spend time, money.”
CBC also ran this story, which is in the running for “worst aged segments” in all of television news history. It’s from last year.
Watch:
CBC ran this on air:
How Canadians are boycotting America.
Because of Trump.
Their go to place?
Puerto Vallarta.
Resorts confirmed a 22% increase.
While US saw a decline.
Why? Cause of “elbows up”.
Fast forward to today, the government wished them all the best, and… pic.twitter.com/jKzOHadRFc
— Mario Zelaya (@mario4thenorth) February 24, 2026
Credit: @mario4thenorth/X.com
They didn’t want to spend money in Texas or Florida because Donald Trump wrote some mean tweets. And now they’re hunkering down in their resorts, hoping they don’t get murdered. These are the kinds of videos Canadians are currently uploading from their vacations, which really hit Donald Trump where it hurts.
Watch:
Elbows Up Canadians chose to vacation in Mexico instead of the US.
Now they are surrounded by cartel warfare and Air Canada has cancelled flights out of Puerto Vallarta.
— Anti-Boomer (@mapleblooded) February 22, 2026
Credit: @mapleblooded/X.com
We have received exclusive footage from Edmontonians sheltering in a hotel showing the situation in Puerto Vallarta, where the cartel is reportedly taking the city hostage.
WestJet & Air Canada flights have been cancelled. https://t.co/nr1nkxrJpM pic.twitter.com/n1Bc56QKnn
— YEGWAVE (@yegwave) February 22, 2026
Credit: @yegwave/X.com
It’s probably not surprising that, at the moment, no one in Canada’s government actually seems to care about the Canadians who are now trapped in Mexico. They aren’t getting regular updates from the Canadian government.
Meanwhile, a member of Canada’s parliament named Heather McPherson (who’s currently running to lead one of Canada’s major parties) put out this message.
Many Canadians, especially members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, are in Puerto Vallarta, where violence has quickly escalated. A shelter-in-place order is in effect. Please stay vigilant.
So, needless to say, that doesn’t help the tourism industry, either. Prominent politicians are publicly declaring that Puerto Vallarta is where the gay Canadians go. And at the moment, all of those gay Canadian tourists have to deal with the Mexican cartels, which are known for misgendering everyone in their path.
But for her part, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, does seem to be taking the cartels seriously. And that’s a surprise because, just a couple of months ago, she declared that it would be unlawful to wage war on the cartels because they’re entitled to due process and civil liberties.
Watch:
BREAKING – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says using force against cartels violates their civil rights, and any talk of engaging in “war” with the cartels is a right-wing talking point fueled by “fascism.” pic.twitter.com/MpxBpA4jAA
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) February 23, 2026
Credit: @Rightanglenews/X.com
The gist was that the Mexican government is going to respect the legal process and treat the cartels like criminals, rather than enemy combatants. She says, “Returning to the war against the narco is not an option. First, because it is outside the framework of the law.”
There’s no need to belabor how absurd this reasoning is.
This is the beginning of the war against the most violent and deranged cartel in Mexico: El Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generación. Or CJNG. Their leader “El Mencho” was killed today in a raid by Mexican Special Forces using US intelligence. These elite forces train with us regularly.… pic.twitter.com/UF30NPRFrK
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) February 23, 2026
Credit: @DanCrenshawTX/X.com
Cartels in Mexico have better weaponry and technology than the Mexican military. As you can see, they’re equipped like the special forces. They routinely murder politicians, law enforcement, and civilians. If Mexico’s government is committed to treating these narco-terrorists like common criminals, then they won’t last very long. And millions of Americans — particularly Americans living near the border — will suffer the consequences. Frankly, the only way that the Mexican president could disagree is if she’s owned by the cartels.
Apparently, though, the Mexican government has changed its strategy, at least to some degree.
This is how the Wall Street Journal describes the Mexican government’s raid on the town of Tapalpa, which took out the Mexican cartel leader on Sunday morning. This area is known as the “magic town” because of its romantic pine forests, and apparently, El Mencho was spending the weekend with one of his girlfriends.
Otro video donde se muestra como mantuvieron rodeado a los Jaliscos en Tapalpa, Jalisco. Ya no habia nada que hacer el Ejército Mexicano los tenía bien rodeados. pic.twitter.com/Iq2BOJttig
— EJÉRCITO, FUERZA AÉREA Y GUARDIA NACIONAL México (@EJTO_FAM_GN) February 24, 2026
Credit: @EJTO_FAM_GN/X.com
Just before dawn, the quiet of the Jalisco hills was jolted by the sounds of combat helicopters, military aircraft and then gunshots ripping through the air. … [El Mencho’s] security detail fired back. … Dozens of soldiers and armored military vehicles plowed into the forest amid the sound of heavy gunfire. … The ground team chased [El Mencho’s] men into the forest, forcing them to abandon their highest-powered weapons in the cabin complex … [El Mencho’s] forces were pinned down and surrounded but continued to fire back for about five hours. A military helicopter was hit by the gunfire and had to make an emergency landing at a military facility. When shooting stopped, five Jalisco cartel members were dead on the ground. Three others—El Mencho and two bodyguards—were seriously wounded and then died in a military helicopter later. There were no military losses during the raid beyond two injured soldiers. Afterward, Mexican forces seized heavy weapons, including a high-caliber Barrett rifle, munitions, mortar grenades, two rocket launchers and eight vehicles.
In other words, this was not a law enforcement operation. The Mexican government, with assistance from U.S. intelligence, sent in the military and killed one of the most dangerous cartel leaders in the hemisphere. And these raids need to continue until the rule of law is secured in Mexico. There should be no terrorist states on the U.S. border, under any circumstances.
One of the reasons the United States hasn’t collapsed, in the same way that most of Europe has collapsed, is that an ocean separates us from the many dysfunctional elements of the third world. But with the latest cartel violence in Mexico, it’s impossible to deny that we are now directly threatened by narco-terrorists on our doorstep. They’ve already killed tens of thousands of Americans, primarily with fentanyl, as well as meth and cocaine. Now they’re threatening to murder American tourists and everyone living near the southern border.
Right now, near Iran, we’ve stationed an armada that includes multiple aircraft carrier strike groups, including the most advanced carrier in the Navy, the USS Gerald R. Ford, along with at least 13 destroyers and multiple warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles, F-35 fighters, F/A-18 attack planes, and so on. We’ve stocked nearby airbases with drones, reconnaissance planes, tankers, bombers, and electronic warfare jets. We have a lot of hardware that’s about to strike Iran, to all appearances.
And even if you fully support those deployments, and even if you believe Iran needs to be attacked, you have to wonder when the Pentagon is going to devote similar resources to defending the U.S. border with Mexico.
The Mexican government may be outgunned by the cartels. But we aren’t. And rather than another war in the Middle East, a military campaign to dismantle and destroy these cartels would easily be a defining legacy of the second Trump administration. It would save American lives, which is the whole reason we have a military.
For once, we should follow the lead of the Mexican government, change our strategy, and kill these narco-terrorists before they know what hit them.
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