http://www.newsvine.com/drug-warNewsvine - drug-waren-usCopyright 2013Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:19:45 +0000Sat, 18 May 2013 15:26:44 +0000http://www.newsvine.comhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/04/10/17693892-mexican-govt-tries-to-soften-drug-war-languagehttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/04/10/17693892-mexican-govt-tries-to-soften-drug-war-languagemexicodrugwarworld-newsdrug-warltWed, 10 Apr 2013 23:59:30 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>A forensic worker covers the body of a woman who was shot dead by assailants, whose daughter was also killed, while she was selling coffee on a street corner in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Violence, kidnappings and extortions carried out by drug cartels continue to plague this Pacific resort city which has witnessed a large increase in violent crimes during the past years. (AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/04/05/17619266-mexico-at-odds-over-how-to-mourn-drug-war-victimshttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/04/05/17619266-mexico-at-odds-over-how-to-mourn-drug-war-victimsmexicomemorialworld-newsdrug-warltFri, 5 Apr 2013 19:44:57 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>A visitor pushes a bike through a memorial to victims of violence on the day of its unveiling in Mexico City, Friday, April 5, 2013. A country in turmoil over drug violence couldn’t agree on how to honor its victims but on Friday decided to unveil a memorial despite wide rejection. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p><p>Yolanda Colin, shows leaflets with pictures of her nephew, Jose Alfredo Cilin, who went missing since 2011, as she stands by the new memorial in honor of victims of violence during its unveiling in Mexico City, Friday, April 5, 2013. The monument to the drug war dead consists of steel panels with nothing but few quotes from famous writers and thinkers. Activists who oppose the monument say the government needs to acknowledge each and every one of those killed. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p><p>Isabel Miranda de Wallace, recipient of Mexico's 2010 National Human Rights Award, writes her son's name "Alberto Wallace" and "I love you" in a circle, referring to her son who was kidnapped and killed, on a steel wall where other messages were written as well, on a new memorial to the victims of violence on the day of its unveiling in Mexico City, Friday, April 5, 2013. Some activists support the memorial, which has been finished since November. But other groups oppose the monument, including a well-known poet who has campaigned against the violence. They say the government needs to acknowledge each and every one of those killed. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p><p>Mexico's Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, center, waves to journalists as he arrives for the unveiling ceremony of a memorial in honor of victims of violence in Mexico City, Friday, April 5, 2013. Chong joined rights activists to unveil the monument to the drug war dead that consists of steel panels with nothing but few quotes from famous writers and thinkers. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/02/18/17006415-costa-rica-toughens-stance-in-us-backed-drug-fighthttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/02/18/17006415-costa-rica-toughens-stance-in-us-backed-drug-fightnew-yorkcosta-ricawarworld-newsdrug-warltMon, 18 Feb 2013 19:47:07 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>In this Jan. 25, 2013 photo, a detection officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection takes photos of a potential drug-carrying boat from inside a P3 Orion Airborne Early Warning Aircraft while flying over waters near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The Central American country abolished its army in 1948 and plowed money into education, social benefits and environmental preservation. As a result, Costa Rican officials say, the country can’t battle ruthless and well-equipped Mexican drug cartels without U.S. help. The U.S. is patrolling Costa Rica’s skies and waters and providing millions of dollars in training and equipment to Costa Rican officials who have launched a tough line on crime backed by top-to-bottom transformation of the law-enforcement and justice systems. (AP Photo/Michael Weissenstein)</p><p>In this Jan. 25, 2013 photo, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection detection officer analyzes radar signals inside a P3 Orion Airborne Early Warning Aircraft while flying over waters near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.The Central American country abolished its army in 1948 and plowed money into education, social benefits and environmental preservation. As a result, Costa Rican officials say, the country can’t battle ruthless and well-equipped Mexican drug cartels without U.S. help. The U.S. is patrolling Costa Rica’s skies and waters and providing millions of dollars in training and equipment to Costa Rican officials who have launched a tough line on crime backed by top-to-bottom transformation of the law-enforcement and justice systems. (AP Photo/Mike Weissenstein)</p><p>In this undated photo released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Jan. 31, 2013, a P3 Orion Airborne Early Warning aircraft belonging to the CBP flies at an unspecified location. The Central American country abolished its army in 1948 and plowed money into education, social benefits and environmental preservation. As a result, Costa Rican officials say, the country can’t battle ruthless and well-equipped Mexican drug cartels without U.S. help. The U.S. is patrolling Costa Rica’s skies and waters and providing millions of dollars in training and equipment to Costa Rican officials who have launched a tough line on crime backed by top-to-bottom transformation of the law-enforcement and justice systems. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)</p><p>Maps shows drug seizures by region in Central America.</p><p>In this Jan. 25, 2013 photo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection pilots navigate a P3 Orion Airborne Early Warning Aircraft while flying over waters near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The Central American country abolished its army in 1948 and plowed money into education, social benefits and environmental preservation. As a result, Costa Rican officials say, the country can’t battle ruthless and well-equipped Mexican drug cartels without U.S. help. The U.S. is patrolling Costa Rica’s skies and waters and providing millions of dollars in training and equipment to Costa Rican officials who have launched a tough line on crime backed by top-to-bottom transformation of the law-enforcement and justice systems. (AP Photo/Michael Weissenstein)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/02/03/16827138-us-military-expands-its-drug-war-in-latin-americahttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/02/03/16827138-us-military-expands-its-drug-war-in-latin-americauswarus-newsdrug-warltthe-drug-waruss-underwoodmilitarizing-the-drug-warSun, 3 Feb 2013 14:51:44 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/01/17/16566826-us-commandos-boost-numbers-to-train-mexican-forceshttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2013/01/17/16566826-us-commandos-boost-numbers-to-train-mexican-forcesusmexicopoliticswardrug-warThu, 17 Jan 2013 17:04:13 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - This Dec. 3, 2008 file photo shows Mexican Army soldiers holding two suspects, arrested during an operation against drug smuggling and kidnapping gangs, after being presented to the press in Tijuana, Mexico. U.S. officials say the Pentagon is stepping up aid for Mexico's bloody drug war with a new U.S.-based special operations headquarters to teach Mexican security forces how to hunt drug cartels the same way special operations teams hunt al-Qaida. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, File)</p><p>FILE - This Feb. 7, 2012 file photo shows Navy Adm. Bill McRaven, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command speaking in Washington. U.S. officials say the Pentagon is stepping up aid for Mexico's bloody drug war with a new U.S.-based special operations headquarters to teach Mexican security forces how to hunt drug cartels the same way special operations teams hunt al-Qaida. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/12/17/15974485-mexico-says-some-80-cartels-at-work-in-countryhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/12/17/15974485-mexico-says-some-80-cartels-at-work-in-countrymexicodrugsecuritywarworld-newsdrug-warltMon, 17 Dec 2012 20:43:21 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez, left, and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto pose for photographers each wearing a boxing glove that Marquez used in his most recent match against Manny Pacquiao, during a ceremony to celebrate the boxer's victory, at the National Palace, in Mexico City, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Unable to win a decision in their first three fights, Marquez won the old-fashioned way with a huge right hand that put Pacquiao down for the second time in the fight at 2:59 of the sixth round. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/10/18/14527581-violent-mexico-border-state-is-snapshot-of-nationhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/10/18/14527581-violent-mexico-border-state-is-snapshot-of-nationmexicowarworld-newsdrug-warltzetashideoutThu, 18 Oct 2012 08:02:43 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>This Oct. 10, 2012 photo shows a ball field, the alleged site where Heriberto Lazcano, a founder and top leader of the Zetas drug cartel, was killed in Mexico's Coahuila state. Despite the crowd, nobody is willing to admit they were there the afternoon of Oct. 7 or saw the shootout just outside the ball field in the heart of Coahuila state, the alleged site where Mexican marines gunned down Lazcano, the biggest kingpin netted so far in Mexico's President Felipe Calderon’s six-year assault on organized crime. (AP Photo/Olga R. Rodriguez)</p><p>This Oct. 10, 2012 photo shows an entrance to the town of Progreso, the alleged site where Heriberto Lazcano, a founder and top leader of the Zetas drug cartel, was killed in Mexico's Coahuila state. Despite the crowd, nobody is willing to admit they were there the afternoon of Oct. 7 or saw the shootout just outside the ball field in the heart of Coahuila state, the alleged site where Mexican marines gunned down Lazcano, the biggest kingpin netted so far in Mexico's President Felipe Calderon’s six-year assault on organized crime. (AP Photo/Olga R. Rodriguez)</p><p>FILE - This undated file photo, downloaded from the Mexico's Attorney General's Office most wanted criminals webpage on Nov. 2, 2010, shows alleged Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in an undisclosed location. Despite the crowd, nobody is willing to admit they were there the afternoon of Oct. 7 or saw the shootout just outside the ball field in the heart of Coahuila state. Mexican marines gunned down Lazcano. (AP Photo/Mexico's Attorney General's Office, File)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/10/08/14298480-us-knew-dead-zeta-leaders-id-before-body-stolenhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/10/08/14298480-us-knew-dead-zeta-leaders-id-before-body-stolenmexicodrugwarassociated-pressworld-newsdrug-warfelipe-calderonltheriberto-lazcanotop-zetasMon, 8 Oct 2012 18:54:00 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>Salvador Alfonso Martinez also known as "La Ardilla," or "Squirrel," in English, holds up his right finger while presented to the press under the custody of navy marines at the Organized Crime Special Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. According to federal authorities Martinez is one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico, and is allegedly a top regional leader of the Zetas drug cartel. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)</p><p>Salvador Alfonso Martinez also known as "La Ardilla," or "Squirrel," in English, stands handcuffed and wearing a bulletproof vest before journalists during his media presentation at the Organized Crime Special Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. According to federal authorities Martinez is one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico, and is allegedly a top regional leader of the Zetas drug cartel. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)</p><p>Salvador Alfonso Martinez also known as "La Ardilla," or "Squirrel," in English, holds up his right finger while presented to the press under the custody of navy marines at the Organized Crime Special Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. According to federal authorities Martinez is one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico, and is allegedly a top regional leader of the Zetas drug cartel. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)</p><p>Salvador Alfonso Martinez also known as "La Ardilla," or "Squirrel," in English, waves goodbye to the press corps as he is led away after his media presentation to reporters at the Organized Crime Special Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. According to federal authorities Martinez is one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico, and is allegedly a top regional leader of the Zetas drug cartel. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)</p><p>FILE - This undated file photo, downloaded from the Mexico's Attorney General's Office most wanted criminals webpage on Nov. 2, 2010, shows alleged Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in an undisclosed location. The Mexican navy says on Monday, Oct. 8, 2012, Lazcano has apparently been killed in a firefight with marines in the Mexican northern border state of Coahuila. (AP Photo/Mexico's Attorney General's Office, file)</p><p>ALTERNATIVE CROP OF XLAT102 - FILE - This undated file photo, downloaded from the Mexico's Attorney General's Office most wanted criminals webpage on Nov. 2, 2010, shows alleged Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in an undisclosed location. The Mexican navy says on Monday, Oct. 8, 2012, Lazcano has apparently been killed in a firefight with marines in the Mexican northern border state of Coahuila. (AP Photo/Mexico's Attorney General's Office, file)</p><p>FILE - This undated file photo, obtained on Nov. 2, 2010 from the Mexico's Attorney General's Office most wanted criminals webpage, shows alleged Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in an undisclosed location. The Mexican navy said on Monday, Oct. 8, 2012, Lazcano has apparently been killed in a firefight with marines in the Mexican northern border state of Coahuila. (AP Photo/Mexico's Attorney General's Office, file)</p><p>Tiffany Hartley, widow of David Hartley who went missing at Falcon Lake on Sept. 30, 2010, reacts at her family farm in La Salle, Colo., Monday, Oct. 8, 2012, to the news that Mexican authorities Monday have linked suspected Zetas cartel leader Salvador Alfonso Martine Escobedo to her husband's disappearance and presumed death. Hartley said it's hard to believe authorities have found the person responsible but adds she's hopeful. Among the unanswered questions for her: Where is her husband's body (AP Photo/Solomon Banda)</p><p>This photo released by Mexico's Navy on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 allegedly shows the body of Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano while in the possession of Mexico's Medical Forensic Service (SEMEFO) in Sabinas, Mexico. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter whose brutal paramilitary tactics helped define the devastating six-year war among Mexico's drug gangs and authorities, was killed Sunday in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Mexico Navy)</p><p>This photo released by Mexico's Navy on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 allegedly shows the body of Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano while in the possession of Mexico's Medical Forensic Service (SEMEFO) in Sabinas, Mexico. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter whose brutal paramilitary tactics helped define the devastating six-year war among Mexico's drug gangs and authorities, was killed Sunday in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Mexico Navy)</p><p>This photo released by Mexico's Navy on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 allegedly shows the body of Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano while in the possession of Mexico's Medical Forensic Service (SEMEFO) in Sabinas, Mexico. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter whose brutal paramilitary tactics helped define the devastating six-year war among Mexico's drug gangs and authorities, was killed Sunday in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Mexico Navy)</p><p>This undated photo released by Mexico's Attorney General's Office shows alleged Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in an unknown location. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter whose brutal paramilitary tactics helped define the devastating six-year war among Mexico's drug gangs and authorities, was killed Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Mexico Attorney General's Office)</p><p>A church allegedly donated by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, alleged leader of the Zetas, stands in the neighborhood of Tezontle in Pachuca, Mexico. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter, was killed Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p><p>FILE - This Oct. 20, 2010 file photo shows a plaque dated Nov. 2009 on the wall of a church in the neighborhood of Tezontle in Pachuca, Mexico. The plaque thanks the major donor who built the church, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, alleged leader of the Zetas, reading in Spanish "Center for Evangelization and Catechism 'Juan Pablo II', donated by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my plea. Answer me because you are faithful and righteous..Psalm 143.' Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter, was killed Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Victor Valera, File)</p><p>A dog walks near a tomb that was allegedly built by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, alleged leader of the Zetas, at a cemetery in the neighborhood of Tezontle in Pachuca, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. The tomb is a copy of an actual church in Tezontle, which at one point had a plaque naming Lazcano as the donor. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter, was killed Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p><p>This undated photo released by Mexico's Attorney General's Office shows alleged Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in an unknown location. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter whose brutal paramilitary tactics helped define the devastating six-year war among Mexico's drug gangs and authorities, was killed Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Mexico's Attorney General's Office)</p><p>This photo released by Mexico's Navy on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 allegedly shows the body of Zeta drug cartel leader and founder Heriberto Lazcano while in the possession of Mexico's Medical Forensic Service (SEMEFO) in Sabinas, Mexico. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter whose brutal paramilitary tactics helped define the devastating six-year war among Mexico's drug gangs and authorities, was killed Sunday in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Mexico Navy)</p><p>A church allegedly donated by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, alleged leader of the Zetas, stands in the neighborhood of Tezontle in Pachuca, Mexico. Mexico's Navy says fingerprints confirm that cartel leader Lazcano, an army special forces deserter, was killed Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 in a firefight with marines in the northern state of Coahuila on the border with the Texas. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/09/22/14035776-mexico-finds-cartel-radio-network-300-foot-towerhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/09/22/14035776-mexico-finds-cartel-radio-network-300-foot-towermexicodrugwarworld-newsdrug-warltSat, 22 Sep 2012 19:16:45 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>This undated image provided by U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control shows Ivan Velazquez Caballero, known as "El Taliban." "A person who is presumed to be, and acknowledges being, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, was captured in the state of San Luis Potosi" in north-central Mexico, the navy said in a statement Wednesday night Sept. 26, 2012. If confirmed, Velazquez Caballero's arrest could calm some of the brutal violence that has hit border cities like Nuevo Laredo, across from Laredo, Texas, in recent weeks. (AP Photo/US Department of Treasury)</p><p>The alleged leader of a faction of the hyper-violent Zetas cartel, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, known as "El Taliban," right, is escorted to a media presentation at the Mexican Navy's Center for Advanced Naval Studies in Mexico City,Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. Velazquez Caballero allegedly has been fighting a bloody internal battle with top Zetas' leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, and officials have said the split was behind a recent surge in massacres and shootouts, particularly in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>The alleged leader of a faction of the hyper-violent Zetas cartel, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, known as "El Taliban," is shown during a media presentation at the Mexican Navy's Center for Advanced Naval Studies in Mexico City,Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. Velazquez Caballero allegedly has been fighting a bloody internal battle with top Zetas' leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, and officials have said the split was behind a recent surge in massacres and shootouts, particularly in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>The alleged leader of a faction of the hyper-violent Zetas cartel, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, known as "El Taliban," is escorted to a media presentation at the Mexican Navy's Center for Advanced Naval Studies in Mexico City,Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. Velazquez Caballero allegedly has been fighting a bloody internal battle with top Zetas' leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, and officials have said the split was behind a recent surge in massacres and shootouts, particularly in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>Confiscated money, grenades, and guns are displayed during the media presentation of the alleged leader of a faction of the hyper-violent Zetas cartel, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, known as "El Taliban," at the Mexican Navy's Center for Advanced Naval Studies in Mexico City,Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. Velazquez Caballero allegedly has been fighting a bloody internal battle with top Zetas' leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, and officials have said the split was behind a recent surge in massacres and shootouts, particularly in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/23/12906014-unidentified-bodies-missing-cases-mount-in-mexicohttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/23/12906014-unidentified-bodies-missing-cases-mount-in-mexicomexicobodiesworld-newsdrug-warltunidentified-bodiesMon, 23 Jul 2012 15:48:25 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this May 16, 2011 file photo, the hand of a corpse hangs from a bed with a syringe being used by forensic experts at a makeshift morgue inside a refrigerated container as they try to identify hundreds of bodies found in mass clandestine graves in Durango, Mexico. The count of unidentified dead in Mexico is growing. Many say the country's police are simply overwhelmed by the number of drug war casualties as they struggle with poor forensic capabilities and the reluctance of some witnesses and victims' relatives to help. That apparent futility is drawing increasing criticism from Mexicans weary of the government-led offensive against drug cartels, who are also fighting among themselves. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)</p><p>FILE - In this May 13, 2012 file photo, federal police escort three forensic vans carrying bodies found along a highway connecting the northern Mexican metropolis of Monterrey, Mexico, to the U.S. border. Two months after police found 49 dismembered bodies strewn on a Mexican highway leading to the Texas border, authorities have not identified a single victim. (AP Photo/Christian Palma, File)</p><p>FILE - In this May 13, 2012 file photo, forensic experts examine the area where dozens of bodies, some of them mutilated, were found on a highway connecting the northern Mexican metropolis of Monterrey, Mexico, to the U.S. border. Two months after police found 49 dismembered bodies strewn on a Mexican highway leading to the Texas border, authorities have not identified a single victim. (AP Photo/Christian Palma, File)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/06/12603967-elite-counterdrug-units-proposed-for-mexicohttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/06/12603967-elite-counterdrug-units-proposed-for-mexicomexicocolombiadrugwarworld-newsdrug-warltmexico-drugFri, 6 Jul 2012 21:22:30 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this June 14, 2012 file photo, then presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto, right, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, greets retired Colombian Gen. Oscar Naranjo during a press conference in Mexico City. Naranjo, who was named top security advisor by President-elect Pena Nieto, said Friday, July 6, 2012, that he is recommending the creation of elite units of police and troops who will target not just major drug traffickers but also lower-level cartel hitmen as a way of swiftly reducing violence. (AP Photo/Christian Palma, File)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/05/12572553-new-mexican-president-could-target-small-gangshttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/05/12572553-new-mexican-president-could-target-small-gangsmexicoelectionswarworld-newsdrug-warltThu, 5 Jul 2012 07:05:13 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>Presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto waves to supporters at his party's headquarters in Mexico City, early Monday, July 2, 2012. Mexico's old guard sailed back into power after a 12-year hiatus Sunday as the official preliminary vote count handed a victory to Enrique Pena Nieto, whose party was long accused of ruling the country through corruption and patronage. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)</p><p>A demonstrator gives a flower to a police officer during a protest outside an office of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) in Mexico City, Tuesday, July 3, 2012. Demonstrators gathered two days after the elections to protest against the apparent victor of Enrique Pena Nieto, presidential candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/06/14/12227027-mexico-troops-detain-son-of-most-wanted-drug-lordhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/06/14/12227027-mexico-troops-detain-son-of-most-wanted-drug-lordmexicodrugwarworld-newsdrug-warpablo-escobarltenrique-pena-nietojoaquin-guzman-loeramexico-navyoscar-naranjoThu, 14 Jun 2012 22:51:25 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>Gen. Oscar Naranjo, Colombia's former national police chief, salutes during the swearing-in ceremony of his replacement in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. Gen. Jose Roberto Leon Riano replaced Naranjo. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)</p><p>Former National Police Chief Gen. Oscar Naranjo, center, is decorated by President Juan Manuel Santos during the swearing-in ceremony of Naranjo's replacement in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. Gen. Jose Roberto Leon Riano replaced Naranjo. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)</p><p>Colombia's new national Police Chief Gen. Jose Roberto Leon Riano, behind, salutes during his swearing-in ceremony as he watches retiring police chief Gen. Oscar Naranjo walk by in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/25/11882410-mexico-pres-front-runner-promises-to-cut-violencehttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/25/11882410-mexico-pres-front-runner-promises-to-cut-violencemexicoelectionswarworld-newsdrug-warltFri, 25 May 2012 18:46:04 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>Enrique Pena Nieto, presidential candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), speaks during the first Citizens Summit in Mexico City, Tuesday, May 22, 2012. Mexico will hold presidential elections on July 1. The sign behind reads in Spanish "For the construction of a fair and just Mexico." (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>Mexican navy marines inspect a car that was found with the bodies of two men inside the trunk in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, Mexico Wednesday May 23, 2012. A message to a rival gang was left next to the car. (AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/23/11830977-mexico-protects-pepsico-subsidiary-after-attackshttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/23/11830977-mexico-protects-pepsico-subsidiary-after-attacksmexicodrugwarworld-newsdrug-warltWed, 23 May 2012 15:50:14 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>In this photo taken late Friday, May 25, 2012, flames rise from a warehouse of the Mexican potato-chip company Sabritas, in Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. Over the weekend, unidentified gunmen launched a series of coordinated attacks against the company's installations in the western state of Michoacan in what has been described as the most violent and concerted attack on a private transnational company in the country's 5 ½-year drug war. Sabritas is a subsidiary of PepsiCo. (AP Photo)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/13/11686646-notable-violence-in-mexico-over-past-yearhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/05/13/11686646-notable-violence-in-mexico-over-past-yearmexicodrugviolenceglancewarworld-newsus-newsdrug-warltSun, 13 May 2012 18:59:04 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this Aug. 25 2011, file photo, paramedics remove the body of a woman out of the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico. The discovery of 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway in northern Mexico on Sunday, May 13, 2012, appears to be part of an increasingly gruesome war of intimidation among Mexican drug gangs. (AP Photo/Hans Maximo Musielik, file)</p><p>FILE - In this Tuesday Sept. 20, 2011 file photo, soldiers and police block off an area where 35 bodies lie under an overpass in Veracruz, Mexico. The discovery of 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway in northern Mexico on Sunday, May 13, 2012, appears to be part of an increasingly gruesome war of intimidation among Mexican drug gangs. (AP Photo, file)</p><p>FILE - In this Aug. 26, 2011, file photo, people wait for news about their relatives outside the site where the government is testing DNA samples to match with those who died in a casino fire in Monterrey, Mexico. The discovery of 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway in northern Mexico on Sunday, May 13, 2012, appears to be part of an increasingly gruesome war of intimidation among Mexican drug gangs. (AP Photo/Hans-Maximo Musielik, file)</p><p>A forensic agent inspect the area where dozens of bodies, some of them mutilated, were dumped on a highway connecting the northern Mexican metropolis of Monterrey to the U.S. border, in the town of San Juan, near the city of Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, May 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)</p><p>FILE - In this July 8, 2011, file photo, medical workers stand next to bodies in Valle de Chalco, Mexico. The discovery of 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway in northern Mexico on Sunday, May 13, 2012, appears to be part of an increasingly gruesome war of intimidation among Mexican drug gangs. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, file)</p><p>FILE - In this May 16, 2011 file photo, morgue employees take in the bodies that were found on a ranch in northern Guatemala, at the local morgue in San Benito, Guatemala. The discovery of 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway in northern Mexico on Sunday, May 13, 2012, appears to be part of an increasingly gruesome war of intimidation among Mexican drug gangs. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, file)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/04/25/11393482-texas-senator-appeals-boxing-match-alcohol-banhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/04/25/11393482-texas-senator-appeals-boxing-match-alcohol-bansportsdrugel-pasoboxingfightwarassociated-presswest-texasus-newsdrug-warsun-bowlvenuetexas-systemangry-el-pasochancellor-francisco-cigarroatexas-system-chancellor-francisco-cigarroaWed, 25 Apr 2012 18:22:32 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this April 24, 2012, file photo Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. left, and his opponent Andy Lee pose for pictures during a news conference at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. A federal risk assessment of the West Texas boxing match between the two that had been cancelled, predicted it would draw leaders from two rival drug cartels, but noted the cartels had declared the event a "neutral zone," a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday, April 27, 2012. (AP Photo/El Paso Times, Rudy Guteirrez, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2008, file photo, fans attend a football game at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. A federal risk assessment of a boxing match that had been cancelled at the Sun Bowl predicted it would draw leaders from two rival drug cartels, but noted the cartels had declared the event a "neutral zone," a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday, April 27, 2012. (AP Photo/El Paso Times, Ruben R Ramirez, file)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/01/16/10167248-13-killed-8-at-funeral-in-violent-mexico-statehttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/01/16/10167248-13-killed-8-at-funeral-in-violent-mexico-statemexicodrugwarmexico-cityworld-newsdrug-warltMon, 16 Jan 2012 15:50:32 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/01/08/10042797-family-of-mexican-marines-kidnapped-slainhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/01/08/10042797-family-of-mexican-marines-kidnapped-slainmexicodrugwartreasury-departmentmexico-cityworld-newsdrug-warfelipe-calderonltSun, 8 Jan 2012 04:17:06 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>The police chief of the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, Julian Leyzaola, center, walks past the body of a top municipal police officer after he was gunned down by unknown attackers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Tuesday Jan. 10, 2012. According to local media reports, another officer and an unconfirmed number of civilians were injured. (AP Photo/Raymundo Ruiz)</p><p>Police stand next to the bodies of four men that were left next to a wall in the town of Medellin, near Veracruz, Mexico, Wednesday Jan. 11, 2012. All four men showed signs of torture. More than 47,000 people have been killed in drug violence in the five years since President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown against drug cartels, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)</p><p>Army soldiers stand next to alleged regional Zeta cartel boss Luis Jesus Sarabia, alias "Pepito Sarabia" and "Z-44," after his arrest during his presentation to the press at the Organized Crime Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico Friday Jan. 13, 2012. According to the SIEDO report, Sarabia is an alleged leader of the Zetas drug gang in three northern Mexican states. Sarabia is also suspected in the killing of a U.S. immigration agent last year. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)</p><p>Army soldiers stand guard over alleged regional Zeta cartel boss Luis Jesus Sarabia, alias "Pepito Sarabia" and "Z-44," left, during his presentation to the press after his arrest at the Organized Crime Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico Friday Jan. 13, 2012. The other suspect is Jose Rolando de los Santos Herrera who was with Sarabia at the time of his arrest. According to the SIEDO report, Sarabia is an alleged leader of the Zetas drug gang in three northern Mexican states. Sarabia is also suspected in the killing of a U.S. immigration agent last year. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)</p><p>Army soldiers escort alleged regional Zeta cartel boss Luis Jesus Sarabia, alias "Pepito Sarabia" and "Z-44," to be presented to the press after his arrest at the Organized Crime Investigations Unit (SIEDO) headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico Friday Jan. 13, 2012. According to the SIEDO report, Sarabia is an alleged leader of the Zetas drug gang in three northern Mexican states. Sarabia is also suspected in the killing of a U.S. immigration agent last year. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/26/9720859-mexicos-cartels-build-own-national-radio-systemhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/26/9720859-mexicos-cartels-build-own-national-radio-systemcartelcommunicationsworld-newsdrug-warltMon, 26 Dec 2011 20:02:42 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2011 file photo, members of the Navy stand guard over seized telecommunications equipment, allegedly built by the Zetas drug cartel, during a media presentation in Veracruz, Mexico. The Mexican army and marines have seized hundreds of pieces of communications equipment in at least three operations since September that offer a firsthand look at a surprisingly far-ranging and sophisticated infrastructure. According to authorities, the network was built around 2006 by the Gulf cartel, a narcotics-trafficking gang that employed a group of enforcers known as the Zetas who had defected from Mexican army special forces. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2011 file photo, a member of the Navy stands next to seized telecommunications equipment, allegedly built by the Zetas drug cartel, during a media presentation in Veracruz, Mexico. The Mexican army and marines have seized hundreds of pieces of communications equipment in at least three operations since September that offer a firsthand look at a surprisingly far-ranging and sophisticated infrastructure. According to authorities, the network was built around 2006 by the Gulf cartel, a narcotics-trafficking gang that employed a group of enforcers known as the Zetas who had defected from Mexican army special forces. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/10/9348795-violence-tops-results-of-mexicos-5-yr-drug-warhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/10/9348795-violence-tops-results-of-mexicos-5-yr-drug-warwaryearslaterworld-newsdrug-warltfive-years-latermexico-five-yearsbrighitte-cuesta-sanchezSat, 10 Dec 2011 14:52:23 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2010 file photo, friends and relatives of Sotero Reyes Ricario, one of the 14 victims of a shootout on two private homes during a teenage birthday party, mourn over his coffin at a funeral service in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico.(AP Photo/Raymundo Ruiz, File)</p><p>FILE - In this June 15, 2009 file photo, soldiers stand in line as they prepare to board vehicles at the Military School in Mexico City to be deployed to the northern part of Mexico to participate in drug crop eradication duties and to learn first-hand Mexico's ongoing war against the drug cartels. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2008 file photo, soldiers carry coffins during the funeral of six members of Mexico's Army that were found decapitated in Chilpancingo, Mexico, the most gruesome attack yet against the Mexican army in its battle against drug gangs. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Claudio Cruz, File)</p><p>EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT - FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2011 file photo, a man claiming to be a relative grieves over the body of a man that was hanging from a pedestrian bridge in the drug violence-plagued city of Acapulco, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez, File)</p><p>EDS. NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT - FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2011 file photo, the bodies of two men shot dead next to the Caleta beach, lie, one of them covered, in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, Mexico. The city of Acapulco has been hit by violence as drug gangs continue to battle for control of the region. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, About 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez, File)</p><p>FILE - In this July 15, 2010 file photo, a police officer runs after a car bomb attack on police patrol trucks that killed two officers in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2008 file photo, bodies from a total of 13 bullet-ridden men, with their hands tied behind their backs, lie in a field near the town of San Ignacio in the pacific state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2010 file photo, soldiers prepare to incinerate 134 tons of U.S.-bound marijuana seized in several trucks, by far the biggest drug bust in the country in recent years in Tijuana, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, About 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2010 file photo, federal police escort Texas-born fugitive Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias "the Barbie," during his presentation to the media in Mexico City. Valdez is wanted in the United States for allegedly smuggling tons of cocaine. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini, File)</p><p>FILE - In this July 15, 2011 file photo, soldiers burn marijuana plants at the largest marijuana plantation ever discovered in Mexico, near San Quintin, Baja California state, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the United States while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini, File)</p><p>FILE - In this June 23, 2011 file photo, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, right, comforts Maria Elena Herrera Magdalena, whose four children are missing, during a meeting with victims of violence in Mexico City. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2007 file photo, wearing a military cap and jacket, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, foreground, walks with his Secretary of Defense Guillermo Galvan as they arrive at a military base in Apatzingan, Mexico to announce stepped-up military actions against drug cartels. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, File)</p><p>EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT - FILE - In this May 16, 2011 file photo, the hand of a corpse hangs from a bed with a syringe that is being used by forensic experts at a makeshift morgue inside a refrigerated container as they try to identify hundreds of bodies found in mass clandestine graves in Durango, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2007 file photo, wearing a military cap and jacket, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, left, walks with his Secretary of Defense Guillermo Galvan as they arrive at a military base in Apatzingan, Mexico to announce stepped-up military actions against drug cartels. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, File)</p><p>FILE - In this April 8, 2009 file photo, graves to be used for future burials are lined up in San Rafael cemetery in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)</p><p>FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2011 file photo, crime scene investigators stand next to the body of a young man who was killed by unidentified gunmen spraying automatic weapons at a soccer field, killing seven in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. The message above the entry to the field reads, "Live Better." (AP Photo/Raymundo Ruiz, File)</p><p>EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT - FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2009 file photo, the body of an unidentified beaten and mutilated man hangs from his neck under a bridge on the old Rosarito Highway as authorities stand by in Tijuana, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, File)</p><p>EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT - FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2011 file photo, the body of a man with his hands tied behind his back lies on the ground in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez, File</p><p>FILE - In this April 24, 2009 file photo, seized weapons sit on racks in a weapons warehouse at the Secretary of the Defense headquarters in Mexico City. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the U.S. while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)</p><p>FILE - In this May 28, 2011 file photo, federal police stand over an injured man, allegedly belonging to the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, after a gun battle one day earlier in Jilotlan, Mexico. Five years after President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on organized crime, about 45,000 troops have been deployed, plus several thousand more from the Navy infantry, or marines. More than 45,000 people have been killed by several counts, though the government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when they hit nearly 35,000 a year ago. Still, the flow of drugs continues unabated into the United States while arms and money flow into Mexico. (AP Photo/Raul Aguilar, File)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/06/9252294-despite-army-takeover-fear-strong-in-mexican-townhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/06/9252294-despite-army-takeover-fear-strong-in-mexican-townfightingfearworld-newsdrug-warltTue, 6 Dec 2011 18:49:02 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2010 file photo, a bullet-riddled street sign stands at the entrance to Ciudad Mier, Mexico, on the border with Texas. Drug violence forced all the residents of this neighborhood to flee in 2010 and it remains completely unoccupied. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, a burned-out police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, file)</p><p>In this photo taken Nov. 18, 2011 photo, a girl waves to soldiers in downtown Ciudad Mier, Mexico. Drug violence forced almost all the residents of this colonial border town to flee in 2010. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, a burned-out police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return.(AP Photo/Christopher Sherman)</p><p>FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2010 file photo, a destroyed home sits abandoned in the Casas Geo neighborhood after it was attacked by drug gangs in Ciudad Mier, Mexico. Drug violence forced all the residents of this neighborhood to flee in 2010 and it remains completely unoccupied. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, a burned-out police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, file)</p><p>In this photo taken Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, Arturo Hernandez sweeps up his father-in-law's flower shop in Ciudad Mier, Mexico on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. It is one of the few businesses to reopen in Mier since drug violence forced many residents to flee in 2010. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, a burned-out police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return. (AP Photo/Christopher Sherman)</p><p>FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2010 file photo, the burned out police station sits in Ciudad Mier, Mexico, after it was attacked by drug gangs. Drug violence forced all the residents of this neighborhood to flee in 2010 and it remains completely unoccupied. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, the police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, file)</p><p>In this photo taken on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, an empty street is seen at the abandoned Casas Geo neighborhood on the outskirts of Ciudad Mier, Mexico. Drug violence forced all the residents of this neighborhood to flee in 2010 and it remains completely unoccupied. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, a burned-out police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return.(AP Photo/Christopher Sherman)</p><p>In this photo taken Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, cars are parked in front of the former police station in Ciudad Mier, Mexico. Last year, drug gangs shot up and burned out the station and it is now being renovated as the new office for the Mexican family services agency. A new battalion of 653 soldiers is providing protection in Mier where most residents fled violence in 2010 but most of them have yet to return fearing the drug traffickers will return. (AP Photo/Christopher Sherman)</p><p>FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2010 file photo, soldiers prepare to leave after inspecting a home in Ciudad Mier, Mexico. Drug violence forced all the residents of the Casas Geo neighborhood to flee in 2010 and it remains completely unoccupied. A year later in Ciudad Mier, crews pave the streets, a burned-out police station has been restored and most of the bullet holes are patched but most residents have yet to return, fearing the drug traffickers will return. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, file)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/04/9202779-mexico-drug-war-refugees-escape-to-more-bloodshedhttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/04/9202779-mexico-drug-war-refugees-escape-to-more-bloodshedmexicorefugeeswarworld-newsdrug-warltrafael-echevarriaSun, 4 Dec 2011 13:49:33 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/11/28/9072427-drug-war-sends-emotionally-troubled-kids-to-texashttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/11/28/9072427-drug-war-sends-emotionally-troubled-kids-to-texasuschildrenwarus-newsdrug-warMon, 28 Nov 2011 19:48:17 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>In this Nov. 1, 2011 photo, Richard Barajas teaches during a victimology class at Cathedral High School in El Paso, Texas. Barajas decided to teach this class after realizing many of his students have been victimized across the border in Mexico, a pattern that seems to be growing along the Texas border. (AP Photo/Juan Carlos Llorca)</p><p>In this Nov. 15, 2011 photo, from left, Cathedral High School students Carlos Gomez,17, Andy Leos, 16, Daniel Garibay, 17, Nick Venecia,16, Alex Zamora, 15, and Guillermo Lopez, 16, pose for a picture in El Paso, Texas. Following the killing of two of their schoolmates in 2001 in Ciudad Juarez, these students formed the Hope Without Borders group to help raise awareness on violence and victimization in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez area. (AP Photo/Juan Carlos Llorca)</p><p>In this Nov. 15, 2011 photo, Richard Barajas, director of advanced studies at Cathedral High School, poses for a portrait in El Paso, Texas. After the murder of two of his students in neighboring Ciudad Juarez, Barajas began teaching a course on victimology so students can discuss violence and victimization. (AP Photo/Juan Carlos Llorca)</p> http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/11/21/8933830-bodies-identified-in-mexico-mass-slayinghttp://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/11/21/8933830-bodies-identified-in-mexico-mass-slayingmexicodrugwarworld-newsdrug-warltpan-american-gamesMon, 21 Nov 2011 18:57:30 +0000http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/posthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/generic_post<p>Soldiers stand next to tables displaying stacks of seized U.S. dollars, at a media presentation in Mexico City, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. The cache of $15.3 million found inside a car in a downtown Tijuana neighborhood is believed by authorities to belong to members of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Army spokesman Gen. Ricardo Trevilla says it was the second largest amount of cash found by soldiers. The biggest was in September 2008, when troops seized $26.2 million at a house in Culiacan, capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>Soldiers carry a table displaying stacks of seized U.S. dollars, at a media presentation in Mexico City, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. The cache of $15.3 million found inside a car in a downtown Tijuanna neighborhood is believed by authorities to belong to members of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Army spokesman Gen. Ricardo Trevilla says it was the second largest cache of cash found by soldiers. The biggest was in September 2008, when troops seized $26.2 million at a house in Culiacan, capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>Soldiers carry a table displaying stacks of seized U.S. dollars, at a media presentation in Mexico City, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. The cache of $15.3 million found inside a car in a downtown Tijuana neighborhood is believed by authorities to belong to members of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Army spokesman Gen. Ricardo Trevilla says it was the second largest cache of cash found by soldiers. The biggest was in September 2008, when troops seized $26.2 million at a house in Culiacan, capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo</p><p>Soldiers carry a table displaying stacks of seized U.S. dollars, at a media presentation in Mexico City, Tuesday Nov. 22, 2011. The cache of $15.3 million found inside a car in a downtown Tijuanna neighborhood is believed by authorities to belong to members of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Army spokesman Gen. Ricardo Trevilla says it was the second largest amount of cash found by soldiers. The biggest was in September 2008, when troops seized $26.2 million at a house in Culiacan, capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)</p><p>A soldier and police officer stand guard as a van that was discovered carrying bodies inside is taken away in Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. At least 20 bodies were discovered early Thursday in three vehicles abandoned in the heart of Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and the site of the recent Pan American Games, an official said. (AP Photo/Victor Fernandez)</p><p>Feet are seen inside a truck where bodies were found in Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. At least 20 bodies were discovered early Thursday in three vehicles abandoned in the heart of Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and the site of the recent Pan American Games, an official said. (AP Photo/Victor Fernandez)</p><p>Venezuelan athletes parade during the closing ceremony of the Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)</p><p>A soldier patrols as a vehicle that was discovered carrying bodies inside is taken away in Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. At least 20 bodies were discovered early Thursday in three vehicles abandoned in the heart of Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and the site of the recent Pan American Games, according to an official with the prosecutor's office in the state of Jalisco. (AP Photo/Victor Fernandez)</p><p>A soldier takes a picture of a vehicle that was discovered carrying bodies inside in Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. At least 20 bodies were discovered early Thursday in three vehicles abandoned in the heart of Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and the site of the recent Pan American Games, according to an official with the prosecutor's office in the state of Jalisco. (AP Photo/Victor Fernandez)</p>