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Mexico Drug War Update
More than 12,000 dead in Mexico's prohibition-related violence as of November 30, according to the Mexican attorney general, and more than 30,000 since Calderon called out the troops in December 2006.
Mexican Drug War
San Malverde, Mexico's patron saint of narco-traffickers
This Year's Top 10 International Drug Policy Stories
It's been a busy year on the global drug policy front. Here, we look at some of the biggest stories.
Drug Trafficking Organization's Bandits Stealing Oil to Fuel Mexican Drug Prohibition War Kill 27
A breeched oil pipeline caused a massive blast in the Mexican town of San Martin Texmelucan. Rivers of fire coursed through the streets, killing at least 27 people and damaging 115 houses.
Mexican Drug Prohibition War Claims Over 12,000 Lives This Year Alone
More than 12,000 people have died this year as a result of Mexico's drug prohibition war, although officials said the number could be higher. Through November 30, 12,456 people were killed, making 2010 the deadliest year since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began a government crackdown against traffickers in 2006. In a recent survey, 59 percent of respondents said organized crime groups are winning the drug prohibition war against federal forces; a different poll said 80 of the respondents believe there is more violence in Mexico than a year ago.
La Familia wanted billboard, "El Chayo" on left
Mexico Drug War Update
More major drug trafficking figures were captured or killed this week, yet Mexico's drug prohibition-related violence continued unabated. This year's death toll has passed 9,000, and Ciudad Juarez this week passed the 3,000 mark.
Mexican Lawmaker Denied Immunity in Drug Trafficking Organization Case
Mexico's Congress has voted to strip a lawmaker of his immunity, allowing for the prosecution of a sitting congressman with alleged ties to the country's powerful drug trafficking organizations for the first time ever in the country. Lawmakers voted 382-2 to let federal prosecutors move forward with a criminal case against Julio Cesar Godoy, a representative from the state of Michoacan accused of laundering money for the notorious La Familia.
Official: Mexico Drug War Imagery Popping Up in US
Dark imagery associated with the Mexican drug prohibition war, including images of the unofficial patron saints of death and smuggling, are showing up north of the border, a sign of the drug trafficking organizations' growing influence among American smuggling networks, a U.S. marshal said. Images of the skeletal black-robed figure of Santa Muerte, the Death Saint, are showing up in areas that don't have large Mexican populations, said Robert Almonte. He is traveling the country instructing law enforcement officials about Mexican folk icons associated with the drug prohibition war, hoping to raise "red flags so they will know that if they see some of this, they will be more cautious."
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Senators Introduce Bill to Create Western Hemisphere Drug Commission
Three senators have introduced a bill to set up a commission to evaluate the efficacy of US anti-drug programs in the hemisphere. But is it about ending the war on drugs or just making it more efficient?
Ciudad Juárez Prohibition War Death Toll Now at 3,000 for 2010
With still two weeks left in 2010, Ciudad Juárez is setting a new record in the number of drug prohibition war killings.
America's Third War: U.S. Secretly Trains Guatemalan Forces to Battle Drug Traffickers
In a sign that Mexico's prohibitionist war on drugs continues to fail and spread havoc in the region: About 150 miles north of Guatemala City, deep in the jungle, is a military base where Guatemalan Special Forces are being trained secretly by U.S. Green Berets. The U.S. officers say the Guatemalan troops are committed to the task of defeating the Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Guatemalaâs murder rate is now twice that of Mexico where more than 11,000 people have been killed just this year.