Mexico's Drug Violence Seeps Into US

Nearly 200 American cities affected by cartels

By Jess Kilby, Newser User

Posted Nov 17, 2008 8:40 AM CST

(Newser) – Mexico’s drug violence has been creeping northward into the US for the past several years, and officials now say that cartel-related crime has hit 195 American cities spanning every state except Vermont and West Virginia, the Los Angeles Times reports. Atlanta has emerged as a trafficking hub, but the kidnappings, deaths, and related violence have spread from Honolulu to Boston.

Many cities are plagued by the presence of more than one of Mexico’s four major cartels, and authorities say it’s unclear why certain areas have been targeted. “It could be one of them may know someone in one part of the country,” one official said. The DEA has also told Congress the cartels “are starting to show the hallmarks of organized crime.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Mexican federal agents escort Jaime Gonzalez Duran, also known as "The Hummer," whose hands are seen in cuffs, as they present him to the media in Mexico City, Nov. 7, 2008. (AP Photo)

Ricardo Estrada Perez, known as "El Pollo," is escorted by soldiers after being presented to the media following his arrest by the Mexican army in Tijuana, Oct. 24, 2008. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

[Mexican cartels] now have command and control over the drug trade and are starting to show the hallmarks of organized crime, such as organizing into distinct cells with subordinate cells that operate throughout the US. - DEA report

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

DEA Nabs 175 Mexican Drug Cartel Suspects

Nationwide initiative a key step in border drug war, authorities say

(NEWSER) - US officials arrested 175 suspected Mexican drug traffickers this week in raids in a dozen states, the LA Times reports. Prosecutors believe the suspects are part of the violent Gulf cartel, considered to be a driving force in Mexico’s escalating drug wars. The raids were part of a 15-month DEA investigation that has netted 507 arrests and the seizure of more than $60 million. More»

Drug Gunmen Attack Mexican Police Bases

Five dead as violence spikes in western state after recent arrests

(NEWSER) - Gunmen attacked federal police bases in at least six Mexican cities, killing three police officers and two soldiers, the BBC reports. The burst of violence follows arrests and gun battles on Friday in Morelia, where 40 men armed with assault rifles and grenades carried out the raid on the police base. The attacks all took place in the western state of Michoacan. More»

Mexico Busts Drug Lord's Son

Military says arrest of Sinaloa kingpin's son deals a heavy blow to cartel

(NEWSER) - The Mexican military has arrested the son of one of the country's most powerful drug barons, reports the Los Angeles Times. Vicente Zambada, 33, whose father is deputy head of the Sinaloa cartel, had risen through the ranks to become one of the cartel's top leaders and had ordered the killings of police and rivals, according to authorities. More»

Mexican Cops Find 5 Heads in Coolers

Ice boxes containing human heads were inscribed with threats, taunts

(NEWSER) - Police in central Mexico yesterday discovered five human heads in ice chests left by the side of a road, CNN reports. The heads—all male—had been severed only hours earlier, and the eyes of the victims were taped shut. The tops of the coolers were inscribed with taunts and threats, presumed to be from a drug cartel sending a grisly message to rivals. More»

Mexican Mayor Assassinated

Just as US arrests 750 in crackdown on Mexican drug cartel

(NEWSER) - The mayor of Vista Hermosa in Mexican President Felipe Calderon's home province was ambushed and killed by gunmen last night, CNN reports. The mayor, who survived an assassination attempt last week, is the second mayor in the province to be killed in eight months. The assassination came as US Attorney General Eric Holder announced that more than 750 suspects have been busted in a US crackdown on Mexican drug cartels. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Mexico's Drug Violence Seeps Into US