A veteran-led group has deployed to Mexico to save Americans from the escalating violence perpetrated by drug cartels.
After the Mexican military killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), cartel members retaliated with widespread attacks on February 22, targeting popular tourist destinations, as The Dallas Express reported.
In response to this violence, the nonprofit organization Grey Bull Rescue has initiated “Operation: CONDOR REACH” to help protect American citizens.
“Cartels embrace asymmetric warfare tactics blended with unhinged brutality — coordinated disruption, territorial control, and murder,” said Grey Bull Rescue Founder Bryan Stern in a press release. “Americans can quickly find themselves in extreme danger.”
Grey Bull Rescue is reportedly “boots-on-the-ground” in Mexico and saving Americans by land, air, and sea, according to the release. Meanwhile, the group’s case management team is responding to “hundreds” of requests from stranded Americans and working to bring them home.
“Operation: CONDOR REACH is about speed, structure, and decisive action to evacuate Americans out of harm’s way away from the cartel war zone,” Stern said in the press release.
Cartel violence in response to the killing of “El Mencho” created a “dangerous and rapidly evolving situation” in Mexico, trapping hundreds of Americans in the country.
“Civilian transit routes have become increasingly unpredictable, at best, if not non-existent, particularly on the streets,” the release reads. “This is most dangerous for Americans stranded in Mexico during peak vacation and spring break travel.”
Families seeking to evacuate from Mexico can register with Grey Bull Rescue through the group’s website.
Boots-on-the-Ground: Grey Bull Rescue Saves Stranded U.S. Citizens
Grey Bull Rescue is a veteran-led nonprofit from Tampa, Florida, according to its website. It launched during then-President Joe Biden’s controversial 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, saving Americans and allies left behind.
Since then, the group has run more than 800 missions and saved thousands of victims from other places, including Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.
“Operating in what it calls ‘the Grey Space’ – where traditional systems strain and response timelines are slow – Grey Bull Rescue deploys teams of elite U.S. Special Operations and Intelligence Community veterans to plan and execute disciplined movement under dynamic security conditions saving lives.”
Ahead of America’s January strike on Venezuela to capture then-dictator Nicolas Maduro, Grey Bull Rescue evacuated opposition leader María Corina Machado in a covert mission during December 2025.
“Grey Bull Rescue has executed operations in war zones, politically unstable regions, and natural disasters in addition to hostage situations and kidnappings where conventional means have collapsed or too dangerous,” the release reads.
Cartel Retaliation and Violence Wave
The Mexican military launched a strike against “El Mencho” on February 22, as The Dallas Express reported. Cartel members began attacking troops, who returned fire – killing four members of CJNG at the scene, while three more died in air transport.
This sparked a wave of cartel violence across the country, even reaching normally safe tourist hubs like Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Ocean. One viral video showed flames engulfing cars outside a Costco in the city.
They got the Costco in Puerto Vallarta 🇲🇽 https://t.co/dYPbnVi5TU pic.twitter.com/n5zD05U3jL
— Tom Slocum for Texas 🇺🇸 (@slocumfortexas) February 22, 2026
The State Department issued a “shelter in place” warning to Americans in Mexico on the initial day of unrest. Hundreds of Americans, including those from Dallas, were stranded in the country.
On February 24, State Department officials lifted the warning, saying transportation and businesses were returning to normal operation, and airports in both Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara were open and secure.
Hitting Home
During the cartel violence, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents in Mexico to shelter in place, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Meanwhile, he surged state troopers, Texas Rangers, and tactical teams to the southern border.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller held a press conference in the border town of San Juan on February 23, where he urged the “total eradication” of drug cartels.
“These cartels have terrorized us for over four decades, flooding American streets with death and turning border communities into battlegrounds,” he said. “Enough is enough! This must be the spark that ignites a U.S. military offensive to hunt down every last cartel member in Mexico and erase them from the face of the earth.”
Miller asked President Donald Trump to send in the military.
“It’s time to deploy our forces against these transnational criminals who’ve been officially designated as terrorist organizations,” he said. “No more half-measures; total eradication now!”
Miller said he stands with Texans near the border, and called to protect the American food supply from “terrorist interference.”
“Stay sharp, stay safe,” Miller said. “But know this, we won’t cower, we’ll conquer.”
“We charge into action, rescuing Americans and allies from conflict and disaster zones where no one else can. Veteran-led, entirely donor-funded. Non-Governmental Organization (NGO),” reads Grey Bull Rescue’s mission, per its Facebook page.
