Scenes from the drug war in Sinaloa, Mexico
Note: This slideshow includes graphic images of the drug war.
Trouble on the US-Mexico border
News and analysis of Mexico's drug trade and growing drug-related violence
Below the U.S. border, a war is raging. Last year, more than 6,200 people died in drug-related violence in Mexico, many in border cities such as Ciudad Juarez. Despite the efforts of the Mexican army, violence isn't letting up: From January to March of this year, drug violence reportedly caused 1,960 deaths.
Drug cartels have staked out territories and trafficking routes, moving heroin, crystal meth, cocaine and other drugs north to the U.S. on a grand scale. United States retailers, meanwhile, have reportedly provided many of the weapons and bullets that are flowing into Mexican cartels. GlobalPost has covered the criminal, social and commercial implications of the evolving war:
Guides to the drug war
- Meet the drug lords
Four key kingpins stand out for their power and notoriety.
- Clash of the cartels
As Mexico suffers from an onslaught of massacres, decapitations and execution-style hits, six major drug cartels have carved up the country into fiefdoms.
- Analysis: Is Mexico a failing state?
In the midst of a violent drug war, GlobalPost looks at the reaction to U.S. government reports that say the two failing states most worrying to the U.S. defense department are Pakistan and Mexico.
How Mexico’s drug trade works
- Investigation — US retailers fuel Mexico's drug wars
Texas retailers lead other U.S. retailers as the origin of powerful weapons and ammunition flowing into cartel depots in Mexico.
- The cross-border bullet trade
Mexican drug cartels are loading up on bullets in the U.S.
The real-world impact of Mexico’s drug war
- Bringing Laredo's missing home
Amid the escalating drug war, dozens of Americans have gone missing along the border. This report looks at South Texas, home of the largest cluster of U.S. residents with relatives who have gone missing in Mexico.
- A tale of two Laredos
The tale of two brothers who were caught up in the drug war. Their story offers a glimpse into how the American government's actions in Mexico can also lead to casualties.
- To live or die in Mexico
A spike in murders and kidnappings prompts calls to bring back the death penalty in Mexico.
- The danger of singing about drugs
Mexican crooners sing about drug cartels, and sometimes find themselves the victims of violence.
Perspectives on Mexico’s drug war
- Violence threatens Mexico's soul
Journalist Mort Rosenblum weighs in on Mexico’s drug war, writing that "the nature of crime is different now, on a far grander scale, with alarming implications."
- The American-Mexican drug war
Veteran journalist Ruben Navarrette Jr. writes about the U.S. role in Mexico's violence, saying that "the United States is a major actor in this drama from the opening scene to what will someday — perhaps many years from now — be the final curtain. And like it or not, Americans have an enormous investment in the outcome of Calderon's battle against the cartels."
- Mexico's staggering drug wars
GlobalPost Senior Editor for Latin America John Dinges writes it’s time “to wake up and smell the gunpowder” in this analysis of Mexico’s drug war, which includes his description of a weekend in Juarez, the site of much of the violence.
Now, take the GlobalPost Mexico quiz.
Recent on Mexico :
On Location: Sinaloa — The front lines of Mexico's drug war
Ioan Grillo and John Dickie - Mexico - February 4, 2010 09:13 ET
Mexico considers clamping down on Twitter
Michael E. Miller - Mexico - February 2, 2010 06:58 ET
Mexicans are using Twitter to avoid drunk-driving checkpoints. Drug cartels might be using it too. Does that justify restricting social networking sites?
Special Report
Thomas Mucha - Commerce - January 28, 2010 17:24 ET
20 correspondents, 20 countries and a world of pain. Meet the ground truth of the global economic crisis.
Mexico's brewing battle over abortion
Lauren Villagran - Mexico - January 27, 2010 19:56 ET
A debate over a woman's right to choose divides Mexico's capital from the countryside.
A touch of blarney in Mexico
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - January 4, 2010 06:37 ET
Free trade, foreign travelers and a new generation spark eclectic bar scene in the Mexican capital.
In Mexico's liberal capital, an uproar over gay marriage
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - January 2, 2010 09:46 ET
Conservative politicians are keeping quiet, but the Catholic Church is up in arms.
Drug cartels to Mexican businesses: pay up
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - December 17, 2009 13:42 ET
Criminals are carrying out widespread extortion rackets, insisting business pay up or face brutal repercussions.
Drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva killed in Mexico
News Desk - Mexico - December 17, 2009 10:49 ET
GlobalPost joins the Mexican army on the front lines as it tracks down drug cartels.
Mexico goes green — or does it?
Michael E. Miller - Global Green - November 23, 2009 17:04 ET
President Calderon is trying to become a leader on climate change. But is it all for show?
Journalist murders in Mexico hit new record
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - November 23, 2009 10:55 ET
Censorship increases as killings become routine. "I don’t want to die young," says one reporter.
A Mexican cop in search of sanctuary
Todd Bensman - Mexico - November 15, 2009 09:34 ET
A Juarez cop fled to Texas after drug cartels attacked him. Will a judge send him back?
Mural makeover
John Enders - Mexico - November 12, 2009 16:50 ET
Mexico is restoring the murals of Diego Rivera — admirer of Lenin, friend of Trotsky and lover of Frida Kahlo.
On Location: Mexico City — Gangster chic
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - November 9, 2009 09:22 ET
Vigilante justice spreads across Mexico
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - October 28, 2009 05:39 ET
More Mexicans turn to the lynch mob as crime spirals out of control.
“Legalize it” lobby gains strength across Americas
Ioan Grillo - Mexico - October 20, 2009 05:26 ET
Mexico and other Latin American countries are moving toward drug decriminalization — and Washington isn't complaining.
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Mexico’s "business class" refugees
Todd Bensman - Mexico - October 18, 2009 17:14 ET
Violence is pushing Mexican elites to buy their way to safety using a special class of U.S. visas available only to the rich.
Full Frame: Worshipping Saint Death
Brian L Frank - Full Frame - October 15, 2009 14:45 ET
A photographer visits Mexico's most notorious barrios, where death is the only truth in life.
Full Frame: Born behind bars
Caroline Bennett - Full Frame - October 15, 2009 14:44 ET
A photographic journey inside a prison where babies live with their incarcerated mothers.
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A World of Trouble: Is the nightmare over?
Thomas Mucha - Commerce - October 14, 2009 13:35 ET
With signs of economic recovery finally emerging, here's where things stand in 20 countries around the world.
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