An unstoppable wave of violence spreads from Ciudad Juárez to the rest of Mexico. Drug trafficking gangs are strong and flourishing in the city where the war is now between drug gangs and the state. These gangs have decided to declare war on the state, seek control of the police, and face each other for power in key locations such as Ciudad Juárez. Those who unfortunately doubted or undermined these efforts had their heads cut off. Easy extermination of life comes with messages, written on cardboard or cloth, hanging from bridges and on streets.
This is gangland violence at its most dramatic and colorful. It is something that can very well find its way into the cinematic renditions of violence by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.
The state of Chihuahua where Ciudad Juarez is located is out of control. State authorities claim to have been left alone in the fight against drug trafficking. Over the past few months, military troops and federal police have, in fact, been deployed to the state to control the fiery violence brought about by drug wars.
Today, Ciudad Juarez is a virtual ghost town with zero tourism. What proliferate these days are blasts from machine guns and sirens from patrol vehicles and ambulances. Mexico President Felipe Calderón’s war against drugs is clearly underway.
