Cartels

Violence in Reynosa, a major Mexico border city, has been elevated since late spring. The bloodshed appears to have been sparked by the killing of a Gulf cartel leader. The Gulf cartel, which has dominated much of northeast Mexico, has undergone severe fragmentation, and the remnants left behind are fighting each other for influence. Mexico’s […]

A leader of a Mexican fuel-theft gang was shot to death at a hospital where he was undergoing plastic surgery to change his appearance, authorities said Thursday. Puebla state prosecutors said Jesus Martin, a woman and two other men were killed at the hospital Monday, apparently by members of his own gang. The killing comes […]

Yesterday, the prototypes for the U.S south border were erected and they are ready for the durability tests against pickaxes, power tools and sledgehammers. The border wall was a main point in the campaign of the now 45th president of the United States Donald Trump, who sees it as a panacea to the illegal immigration […]

Four men were stopped in central Mexico in possession of a drone with an explosive device attached. The discovery is sign of a shift in criminal tactics, further incorporating drones. Drones have been adopted by criminals and police alike in Latin America, especially in relation to drug trafficking. An early-morning traffic stop in central Mexico led […]

Ciudad Juarez has seen a persistent increase in deadly violence over the past two years. The violence appears in large related to conflict between organized-crime groups. The state government has attempted to confront criminals and weed out corruption officials, but crime remains high. In late 2016, a Mexican cartel boss warned that despite a significant […]

By Matthew S. Phinney Sicario Lionsgate (2015) Cast: Benicio DelToro, Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt, Jon Bernthal Director: Denis Villeneuve I dig this movie. It’s got suspense, action, mysterious characters, and a healthy mix of blunt force awesome and calculated violence. It boasts a formidable cast of Benicio DelToro, Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt, Jon Bernthal, that […]

Damaso Lopez Serrano, the son of one of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s main henchmen and a competitor for control of the Sinaloa cartel, crossed the border and turned himself into US authorities on Wednesday. Lopez Serrano reportedly crossed from Mexicali in Mexico’s Baja California state to Calexico in California, where he surrendered to the Customs and […]

Javier Valdez, an award-winning journalist known for his investigatory reporting on cartels and drug trafficking inside Mexico, was gunned down yesterday in Sinaloa, near where he lived and worked. “Even though you may have bullet-proofing and bodyguards, [the gangs] will decide what day they are going to kill you.” Valdez had once said, referring to […]

Violence in Mexico is up near record levels after 35 people were killed this weekend, as officials point to a worsening of gang and cartel violence across the country. The month of March saw over 2,000 homicides, the highest body count since 2011 when Mexico was coping with massive cartel violence. Now, unlike previous spikes […]

A mass grave was recently discovered in the Mexican state of Veracruz containing more than 250 human skulls that all appear to have been the victims of cartel violence in recent years. “For many years, the drug cartels disappeared people and the authorities were complacent,” Jorge Winckler, the state attorney general, said in a television […]

In summer 1999, Salvador “El Chava” Gomez, who had helped guide the Gulf cartel to the top of Mexico’s narco hierarchy, was gunned down, reportedly on the orders of his long-time friend and partner, Osiel Cardenas Guillen. The killing earned Cardenas the nickname, “El Mata Amigos,” or “the friend killer.” And while he hated that […]

Ciudad Juarez — just across the border from El Paso, Texas — has long been coveted by Mexico’s narco traffickers, representing a gateway into the voracious US drug market. Fighting for control of Juarez turned it into one of the most violent cities in the world between 2008 and 2012, but, much to the relief […]