Harsh Mexican drug cartels. Violent Mexico The most dangerous regions of the country and disadvantaged areas of cities

Sharing my impressions of my trip to Mexico, I already wrote about its originality. I would also like to talk about the social landscape of the country, about its hardships and troubles in this area. You feel the special features immediately, even on the streets of Mexico City. They are always crowded: there are too many unemployed. There is a queue for unskilled work.

In the subway, airports, and shops, the floors almost shine - a whole army of cleaners wield rags more efficiently than any machine guns. In museums, instead of pensioners, as we are used to here, strong young guys sit as caretakers in the halls: at least you can earn some money. They also pay in the army, so there is no end to those who want it, especially from villages. And besides, there are many folk musicians, jugglers, acrobats, magicians, and beggars. Usually they put on a micro-performance at an intersection - they manage to run around a dozen cars with a hat, taking advantage of the fact that the traffic lights change, not like us, rarely, sometimes after 3-5 minutes.

Or this scene: a skinny guy, naked to the waist, enters a subway car, spreads a rag with broken glass on the floor and lays down on it, first with his back, then with his chest, and then walks around the car with drops of not dried blood - can you not serve it?

Newspaper “wanted” sections do not hesitate to invite a bricklayer, a secretary, a painter for 600 pesos, although this is illegal, since the minimum payment is 1200 pesos per month (they write, supposedly for half a day). But what is typical is that foreigners will not be allowed near their workplaces.

Of course, what has been said applies only to the poor; the middle class, the “middle”, has completely different money. For example, a successful professor can earn more than 100 thousand pesos per month. The “scissors” are very significant, so it is unrealistic to give “cheap-expensive” estimates. The poor eat simply: flatbread, milk, beans, pepper, vegetable oil. And they drink a lot of Coca-Cola - 2-3 times more than Americans. As for alcohol, preference is given to beer. In addition to the fact that the heat is not conducive to strong drinks, tequila is also five times more expensive than our vodka.

The street party in the city center, in parks, and on university campuses is lively, free, colorful, and does not have the assertive speed and gloomy concentration of the morning human flows of European metro stations. The women are attractive, many can be called beauties, if not for the almost universal traditional spreading and weighting of figures down from the waist (however, other points of view are also legitimate).

Where there is poverty, there is lack of education. In the metro, pictures are required next to the names of the stations: “Medical Center” - a blue cross, “Juarez” - his portrait, “Balderis” - a cannon. This is for the illiterate; there are quite a few of them among the young (though even the literate like it - it’s generally human nature to say goodbye).

“We are turning this thesis around: where there is illiteracy, there is poverty. No matter how much you do good to the poor, the money will go into the sand, and an educated person will solve many problems himself,” says Cecilia Loria, Minister of Education and Culture of the state of Quintana Roo. Listening to the minister is not only interesting, but also pleasant, because Senorita Cecilia is also a charming woman with a Hollywood smile and tired eyes: “Education reform should go ahead of other reforms, as was the case in Japan and Germany after the war. There are almost 15 percent of Indians who do not speak Spanish, and our first task is to make education truly universal, with equal opportunities.We also care about quality, you saw in the school series the thick volumes of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, they are perhaps the most revered among us after Cervantes. Not everyone knows that we are the first in the world in the production of televisions and cars (“it’s begun,” I thought), there would seem to be a lot of jobs, but these factories are foreign, they don’t allow us to get into high-tech (that is, high technology), and the profit goes away from the country".

What is true is true. I tagged along with the President of the Congress of Metallurgists, Professor Tomayo, to fly for half a day to oil workers in the Gulf of Mexico, he advises them on underwater welding. The view from the helicopter is amazing! But that’s not what we’re talking about: the platform is Norwegian, the laying of pipelines is led by the Americans, and the “Papa Carls” are Mexicans. “And among our students,” says Cecilia, “the most prestigious specialty is “commercial engineer”: he has just enough knowledge to be smart, selling American goods - from computers to toilet paper. That’s why our wealth is 60- 70 percent is exported from the country unprocessed."

Something about Mexicans

There are 270 thousand students studying at the National University of Mexico, and 180 thousand at the Polytechnic Institute. Scale! But the trouble is that the “educators” themselves are not very educated: 70 percent of school teachers do not have a licentiate (primary university 4 years), and many university teachers have not completed the full course and do not even have a first academic degree (it sounds charming here - " maestro", not to mention "candidate of sciences"). There is no need to talk about doctors of science - all of Mexico produces fewer of them than the University of Texas at Austin alone.

Every new Mexican president certainly promises to defeat the country's two main ulcers: poverty and corruption. Poverty is visible to the naked eye. The highest echelons of society cannot be reached, but the fact that, for example, all rent is paid in black cash without deductions to the state, or that some professor works full time in three or four universities at the same time and does not appear in any of them, sending graduate students in return, is so This is not considered corruption in our country either. What should I write about?

But what really exists and goes hand in hand with these vices is crime. Unidads hire security guards, but the entrance doors to the apartments are still metal. Single houses are protected by intercoms and concierges (usually men). In the villas there are security guards, rottweilers, electronics, and live wires. And yet they steal and rob. But there is also a street. When your wallet is taken out of your pocket in a crowded subway or market, this can be understood and taken into account for the future. But when a bus is stopped in broad daylight right in the city and three or four young men “quickly, but slowly” rob passengers and the driver - how do you feel about that? I was warned, put money for shopping in a sock, I did this for two days, then I asked: “Don’t “they” know this?” Of course they do. Therefore, if you have a large amount, it is recommended to keep a “distracting” wallet with 200 pesos in a visible place (less likely to offend “them”) in several bills (so that it does not look like a bribe). Alas, “they” know this too.

Cars are not only stolen, but also taken away. I have already said that “red” can burn for about five minutes, and at this time a teenager approaches the car for alms, but suddenly opens the door (don’t yawn), two of his friends with knives appear nearby - a “change” occurs: they - into the car , you are on the sidewalk.

The sensitive topic of drugs here does not sound quite the same as in our media. “Yes, almost every day the front-page news is either the arrest of a major drug trafficker or the discovery of a secret tunnel under the border with Texas. Tens of thousands of drug couriers end up behind bars every year, and what changes? Not a single government can appease the handful of guerrillas (bandits?) of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala. Why? “Because billions of dollars are circulating in this business, and they end up where drugs are sold, in the States, that is. Their bosses subsidize our “national liberation front,” and if you read in the newspapers that the American authorities sent helicopters and instructors “to help” us, keep in mind that this is to control and protect drug highways. As for the drugs themselves, our ancestors regularly used marijuana as a sedative from a natural first aid kit. Remember, Mexico gave tobacco to the world, and the first smoker in Europe was Leonardo da Vinci, so that’s it.”

Big Brother is nearby

For the last seventy years, the country has been continuously, almost without alternative, ruled by the Party of Revolutionary Institutionalism (“you can’t trample against the PRI”). In the 1930s, especially under the strong President Cardenas, oil production was nationalized, social reforms were launched, and sharp statements were made about foreign policy independence. Everything is a great success. But time passes, the world changes, everything becomes boring. In recent years, PRI leaders have not been called anything other than “mastodons” and “gerontocrats,” and the National Activity Party, representing pragmatic businessmen, won the 2000 elections. Its leader, Vicente Fox, previously director of the Mexican branch of Coca-Cola, became its president for the next 6 years. His orientation towards his powerful northern neighbor is obvious. The president claims: “The election results are a mandate for reforms,” but he is not so free in his actions. Here's a recent scandal: the president was going to travel to the USA and Canada, but parliament objected, saying it was a waste of money, and he didn't go!

Relations between Mexico and the United States began to develop in the first quarter of the 19th century. In 1821, after 11 years of bloody struggle, Mexico's independence from Spain was proclaimed, and the United States was the first to recognize the new republic, effectively challenging all European owners of the West Indian colonies and the formidable Holy Alliance. Mexico appreciated the gesture; it tried in everything to imitate its neighbor, who won its independence 45 years earlier. The new republic began to be called the “United States of Mexico” (now there are 31 of them), adopted a constitution, declared universal equality of citizens, and curtailed the power of the church.

When Spain was significantly pushed back and weakened, friction began between neighbors. The energetically growing United States expanded to the west and south and at first was quite content with the de facto seizure of Mexican territories. American settlers colonized uninhabited lands, not too worried about trespassing borders and relying only on the power of their own Colt - it was in the 1840s that this multi-shot miracle came to the people, “making everyone equal.” But as soon as the Mexican parliament bucked, the cowboys bucked too. In 1847, the expeditionary force of General W. Smith (future US presidential candidate) landed in Veracruz and, almost unopposed, moved towards Mexico City. In the capital, near Chapultapec Castle, a “battle” took place with the cadet boys, during which one of them, wrapped in a Mexican flag, jumped out of the window in despair. Today the Monument to Children Heroes is one of the most visible and revered in the city.

According to the peace treaty, Texas and part of Upper California now de jure went to the United States - Mexico did not have the strength to fight for them any longer, and the government convinced itself that these desert lands far from the capital were not so attractive (who could have foreseen then, that oil will be discovered in Texas, and Hollywood in California?). In 1861, there was a new misfortune: England inspired Spain and France to get even with Mexico for the past. The timing was right: the United States was overwhelmed by the Civil War and they had no time to defend the Monroe Doctrine. And this time the expeditionary force repeated the “path of Cortes”: landing in Veracruz and marching to Mexico City. The republic was liquidated, and Maximilian, an Austrian Habsburg prince and author of a couple of books on the study of palace politesse, was installed as emperor.

But this time Mexico didn't go down. President Benito Juarez retreated with the army deep into the country, and then 33-year-old General Porfirio Diaz, the future famous dictator of Mexico for almost 35 years, stood out in his entourage. But things didn’t work out for the interventionists - there was something vaudeville-like in the idea of ​​bringing the monarchy from Europe to tropical America in the second half of the 19th century. England "jumped" from the event before it began, the Spaniards set sail a year later, the French - after 5 years. For the abandoned connoisseur of court etiquette, who blissfully believed in the love of his “subjects,” the time has come that is best characterized by the words “a hangover at someone else’s feast.” Vaudeville turned into drama: in June 1867, Maximilian and his wife Charlotte were shot by patriots in the Queretara hills.

Let us note that the United States, having completed its internal “showdowns,” began actively participating in the expulsion of the French in 1865. And after the Spanish-American War of 1898, when the United States took the Philippines and Puerto Rico from Spain, it became finally clear to the whole world, and Mexico too, who was the boss on the American continent. On the nightstand in my room is a luxuriously designed “Mexico,” published in Miami. The brief historical sketch contains the following sections: "Colonial Era - Independence - French Intervention - Revolution - Today." What about the war of 1846-48, in which Mexico lost half of its territory to the United States? I answer: history is not made by heroes or the masses; history is made by historians, in this case American ones.

In 1994, Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (TLCAN, or NAFTA, in English). Then the nationalists shouted about surrendering positions and loss of sovereignty. However, Mexico survived the 1995 financial crisis only thanks to US assistance.

It is believed here that Fox's presidency began the long process of Mexico's integration into the US economy. Americans are very supportive of Mexican resorts, which is why, in addition to the world-famous Acapulco, about fifteen years ago they began to upset Cancun specifically “for the Americans.” Now there are more than a hundred luxury hotels on the local coast. It's convenient to have a "fiesta" on hand, and there is a ferry here from Florida. “In return,” 15 million Mexicans, including seasonal workers and illegal immigrants, work in the United States. It is they, and not oil, that provide the main dollar income to the country.

But despite all this, Mexicans somehow surprisingly steadfastly maintain their racial identity. They know the history of the country quite well, they idolize their nature and difficult climate, they prefer tequila to other strong drinks, in families, even intelligent ones, Americans are called “gringos”, and “just Marys” do not strive to become Mary.

In September 2006, armed men entered the Sol y Sombra nightclub in the western Mexican city of Urupán and threw five human heads onto the dance floor.

Frightened partygoers continued to watch the actions of people who brought a package with creepy contents into the entertainment establishment, and they, in turn, calmly left, leaving a note informing them that a new drug cartel, La Fimilia Michocana, was operating in the city.

For many, this case, which was covered by news agencies, was evidence that the brutality of cartel participants in the Latin American country had reached unprecedented levels.

Francis Castelanos is a correspondent for the popular Michiokan publication Proces. He sees the 2006 beheading incident as a turning point in Mexico's history.

“The five were local dealers in Urupana,” the journalist explained in an email, adding that the note left on the floor of the nightclub spoke of “divine justice.”

“This incident provoked panic and horror,” recalls Castelanos. “Investors were forced to look for safer places.”

Code of Murder

“In the 1990s, cartels did not cut off the heads of their victims,” says Samuel Gonzalez Ruiz, a former UN crime adviser.

“When they killed, they were guided by certain codes agreed upon within the criminal community,” continues González Ruiz.

“Offhand, a bullet in the back of the head meant that the deceased was considered a traitor. A bullet to the temple is a symbol of belonging to a rival gang.”

However, beheading of victims is now quite often practiced by drug organizations in Mexico, and, in particular, by the Los Zetas criminal network, and two other groups at war with the cartel, El Golfo and Sinaloa.

Only radical Islamist groups that killed the American journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the British engineer Kenneth Bigley in Iraq, are distinguished by such brutal actions.

Death cult

But the Mexican context is different from the situation with Islamic terrorists, according to Gonzalez Ruiz. In his opinion, this practice came from Guatemala: “In 2000, the Zetas attempted to spread their influence in Central America by joining the ranks of the Kaibiles paramilitaries operating in the jungle.

The Kaibiles beheaded their victims to keep the local population in fear during the Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996).

Some experts associate such cases with a religious cult common among representatives of drug cartels, which is called “La Santa Muerte” or “the holy death.”

Historians, in turn, compare the actions of Mexican criminals with the human sacrifices of the Aztecs and Mayans in pre-Columbian America.

Whatever the origins of the brutal acts, the terms used to describe the horrific massacres are now firmly established in the lexicon of the drug cartels in Mexico.

Over the past month, an unprecedented 81 beheaded bodies have been discovered across the country.

In early May, 14 dead were found in the village of Nuevo Laredo, near the Texas border.

Last week, criminals left 18 decapitated bodies in a van near Lake Chapala, an area popular with Mexican tourists.

But the most shocking discovery was made on the road to the industrial city of Monterrey: plastic bags contained the mutilated bodies and heads of 49 people.

Intimidation of citizens

Perhaps, cartel members, in addition to obvious goals, also have hidden motives? The government sees this as an attempt to intimidate the population.

The purpose of these “reprehensible actions” was to sow fear among local residents and government officials, according to Interior Minister Alejandro Poire, who spoke about the incident the day after the incident in Monterrey.

According to the minister, the incident is a consequence of a dispute between the Zetas and El Golfo cartels. A monetary reward was awarded for assistance in capturing the leaders of drug gangs. But for Gonzalez Ruiz, who previously worked in the organized crime unit, the beheadings also send an unambiguous political message: “We will do everything in our power not to lose control of the territory, and let no one expect mercy.”

"Terrorist Strategy"

According to Minister Piore, timing is also extremely pressing with only six weeks left until the presidential elections.

“In part, this can be interpreted as a message to the presidential candidates, most of whom say they will not negotiate with the cartels.”

González Ruiz uses a term that politicians don't like to use to refer to the violence associated with the country's drug trade: terrorism.

The horrifying atrocities that have recently occurred in Mexico are a silent reminder of the extent of the cartels' power in Mexico, and that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

Violence in Mexico has ceased to be an exclusively domestic problem and has spread to the northern bank of the Rio Grande - to Texas, California and Arizona. Local American police have not contacted Mexican police for a long time bandits, however, with the onset of the crisis, the spread of organized Mexican crime reached truly alarming proportions.

In border cities, more than half of all crimes committed are based on drug smuggling or the illegal trade in Mexican labor. The American media is full of stories about murders and kidnappings in the United States of Mexicans who fled their country from the revenge of the cartels; hundreds of random Americans also die during clashes. Residents of the American south feel increasingly unprotected against the “advancing Mexico” and say that California is once again turning into part of a neighboring state.

Mexico's uncontrolled descent into chaos is beginning to pose a serious strategic problem for US security. The Barack Obama administration has announced its intention to more actively assist the Mexican government in the fight against the cartels. Today, the success of this fight depends more on the sincerity of Washington than on the efforts of Mexico City, since for many years the United States has effectively subsidized the cartels. Mexican drug traffickers live on profits from sales drugs in the States, and with the same income they buy weapons there, from which they then shoot civilians and police officers.

Confederation of drug cartels

Today, Mexico, like Pakistan, according to the authors of the US Joint Forces Command 2008 report, is a state on the brink of collapse. The country is torn apart by cartel wars with each other and with the state. Over the past two and a half years, about 10 thousand people have died in drug wars (in general, according to the country’s Minister of Economy Gerardo Ruiz, 75% of all murders occurs in the country during drug showdowns).

In 2007, the Federal Court of San Diego (California) sentenced to life imprisonment the Mexican drug lord, the head of the famous Tijuana criminal cartel - 37-year-old Javier Arellano Felix

“Almost every Mexican border town has recently was killed a high-ranking police officer, journalist, politician or other famous figure - while many other innocent people who just happened to be nearby died,” writes American expert on Mexico Tom Miller. Many Mexicans simply disappear without a trace (one of the members was arrested in January Tijuana cartel , responsible for the disposal of bodies that he dissolved in barrels of acid).

“The government, politicians, police and judiciary are all under constant pressure and regular attack from gangs and drug cartels. The stability of the Mexican state will largely depend on the development of this conflict in the next few years,” says the US Joint Forces Command 2008 report.

So far, the trend in the development of the conflict is not in favor of the state. In the near future, due to the economic crisis and the reduction in oil revenues, which amounted to about 40% of the country's budget, the Mexican authorities simply will not have the financial resources to fight the cartels on their own.

In addition, rapid growth and influence catalyzed by the social structure of Mexican society. Minimal government intervention in the life of society, a huge gap between the poor and the rich (10% of the population consumes 40% of GDP) and the absence of a middle class - all this contributes to the marginalization and criminalization of the main part of the population.

Today, about 5 million families (25 million people - a quarter of the country's population) live on $150 a month, of which they receive $35 from the state so that their children can go to school. From 40 to 55% of the working population works in temporary jobs, and kidnapping is an extremely common business (according to official data, 72 kidnappings are committed in the country per month, according to unofficial data - about 500). Moreover, in 70% of cases, those kidnapped are ordinary people from the meager middle class, working as doctors or journalists, and the required ransom amount is often only a few hundred dollars.

The development of small and medium-sized businesses is hampered by the monopoly nature of business and its affiliation with corrupt authorities. All sectors of the Mexican economy - from oil production to the food and construction sectors - are controlled by monopolies and bipolies (Pemex, Bimbo, Maseca). Mexico ranks 44th in the 2008 Economic Freedom Index, published jointly by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, and 35th in the Milken Institute's 2007 Access to Capital Index (USA 4th). ).

Most enterprising Mexicans go to the States, open their own businesses there (repair shops, fast food restaurants), and then “sign up” their fellow citizens as assistants. As a result, according to some estimates, 27% of the Mexican labor force settled in the United States, from these lucky ones $20 billion flows back into the country (almost a third of all earnings in the Mexican official economy and 10% of the total value of Mexican exports). The rest are “employed” in drug cartels. In fact, participation in the drug chain is the only opportunity for an ordinary Mexican from the bottom to make a career within the country.

The birth of the cartels

The history of modern Mexican drug traffickers dates back to the 1940s, when farmers from the mountain villages of the Mexican state of Sinaloa began to grow marijuana. However, for a long time, the Mexicans were just “donkeys” serving one of the channels for supplying Colombian cocaine to North America. And they didn’t even dare to compete with the powerful Colombians.

The rise of Mexican drug gangs began after the US and Colombian governments defeated the Colombian drug cartels of Cali and Medellin, as well as after the Americans closed the Colombian drug supply channel through Florida. The Mexican delivery route has become virtually no alternative. The weakened Colombians could no longer dictate their will to the Mexicans and now only sell them large quantities of drugs at wholesale prices.

As a result, Mexican gangs gained control over the entire drug trade chain - from raw material plantations in the Andes region to points of sale on American streets. They managed to significantly expand the scale of their business: from 2000 to 2005, the supply of cocaine from South America to Mexico more than doubled, and the volume of amphetamine intercepted at the US-Mexico border alone increased fivefold. The United States, largely due to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Mexican drug cartels, ranks first in the world in terms of cocaine and marijuana consumption.

And the drug cartels themselves began to earn from 25 to 40 billion dollars a year on the American market. In general, Mexico annually produces about 10 thousand tons of marijuana and 8 tons of heroin. Almost 30% of the country's cultivable farmland is planted with marijuana.

In addition, almost 90% of the cocaine consumed in the States comes through Mexico. Mexican laboratories produce the majority of the methamphetamine consumed in the States (although a lot of meth used to be produced - four times more pseudoephedrine was imported into the country than was required for the pharmaceutical industry, and now the focus is on marijuana, which provides almost 70% of the cartels' income). All this is sold through controlled distribution points that Mexican drug cartels have in at least 230 major American cities.

However, this expansion of business has affected the relationships between the leading Mexican cartels. The multiple increase in the possibility of supplying cocaine and marijuana with a fixed number of plazas (transshipment points on the border) and the number of drug addicts in the States led to a sharp increase in inter-cartel competition for the American market.

This is how drug wars began in Mexico: after all, “if in a legal business there are standard legal methods of competition,” says Tom Miller, “then in an illegal business the most effective way to get around a competitor is to kill him.” Accordingly, the structure of the cartels itself has undergone changes. “In the old days, a drug mafioso was this guy with a gold tooth and a Colt .45,” recalls Jay Bollesteros, an elderly gunfighter with the American Gun Traffickers Agency. - Now everything is completely different.

Now there are whole groups of militants trained in a military way.” To fight each other, cartels began to create private armies consisting of mercenaries - sicarios. These mercenaries are armed with the latest technology and often surpass even parts of the Mexican army in technical equipment and level of training. The most notorious and violent of these groups, Los Zetas, is in the service of the Gulf Cartel. Its core is former Mexican commandos from the Gafe unit. Based on the model and likeness of Los Zetas, the Sinaloa Cartel, a rival of the Gulf Cartel, created its own army called Los Negros.

There was no shortage of recruits: the cartels openly posted advertisements in towns bordering the United States, inviting former and current military personnel to join their organizations. Cartel vacancies became one of the reasons for mass desertion and dismissals from the Mexican army (from 2000 to 2006 - 100 thousand people).

President's War

Until 2006 periodic mafia showdowns had virtually no effect on ordinary Mexicans. The cartels were big business, and big business requires a quiet environment. Drug gangs have even become an everyday part of citizens’ lives. Ordinary people, seeing the success of drug dealers (especially against the backdrop of total poverty in the country), began to compose “drug ballads” about them. Since Mexico is a very religious country, the cartels even have their own “drug saint” - Jesus Malverde, whose central temple is installed in the capital of the state of Sinaloa, the city of Cualican, and the “drug saint” - Doña Sebastian Santa Muerte.

There was no large-scale violence in the country. “The cartels interacted with the previous Mexican President Vicente Fox according to the formula: “Live yourself and don’t interfere with others’ lives.” Everyone controlled their own territory and did not interfere with others,” Ray Walser, senior analyst at the American Heritage Foundation, tells Expert.

Everything changed with the victory of Felipe Calderon in the 2006 presidential elections. Immediately after his election, the new head of state declared war on the drug cartels. The president took such a radical step for two reasons.

First, he needed to launch some kind of popular campaign to strengthen his position after the controversial election results (Calderon's lead over his closest rival, Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador, was less than 0.6%). Of the two potential popular directions - the war on crime and the beginning of deep economic reforms - he chose the first as, in his opinion, the easiest.

Secondly, the new president realized the danger of coexistence between cartels and the state. “Calderon realized that continued “See No, Hear No” tactics against drug cartels would inevitably lead to a weakening of the government. Every year the bandits penetrated deeper into government institutions, especially the police,” comments Ray Walser.

By the time Calderon arrived, the entire police force in the northern states of Mexico had been bought by the cartels. At the same time, law enforcement officers did not fear for their future if their connections with bandits were revealed. “If a local policeman is fired for corruption, then he simply goes across the street and is hired to serve in the cartel (for example, in Rio Bravo, the Los Zetas hideout was located directly opposite the police station. - “Expert”).

Former police officers know the principles of police work from the inside, and they are welcome,” says Tom Miller. That is why police force in the country was very low. “When police are killed on the streets, the public doesn’t even protest much,” says Ernesto López Partillo, a researcher at the Mexican research organization Insyde. “This is partly due to the inability to determine whether the police were killed because they were doing their job or because they were acting in the interests of gangs.”

It is for this reason that the president began his war by purging the security forces. After his inauguration, he placed both national intelligence agencies, AFI and PFP, under the control of a man loyal to him - the Minister of Public Security, Genaro García Luna. And soon Luna expelled about 300 high-ranking employees on corruption charges. The president then placed the war against drug cartels entirely on the shoulders of the military. In some states, particularly in Sinaloa, units of the Mexican army were introduced, which disarmed the local corrupt police and took over police functions, including the fight against cartels.

As a result of an active campaign, Calderon managed to inflict some damage drug mafia . During 2007–2008, 70 tons of cocaine, 3,700 tons of marijuana, 28 thousand guns, 2,000 grenades, 3 million cartridges and $304 million were seized from the cartels. The president's team is proud of its success. “If it weren’t for the efforts of President Felipe Calderon aimed at fighting drug cartels, then already at the next elections in 2012, a drug mafioso would have become the head of state,” says Mexican Economy Minister Gerardo Ruiz. The USA has its own indicators: prices for cocaine soared by one and a half times, while the average purity decreased from 67.8 to 56.7%, and the cost of amphetamine on American streets increased by 73%.

Mexico loses

Despite tactical successes, strategically the government of Felipe Calderon is losing the war against the cartels. And both from a military point of view and from a public one.

After the new president violated the unspoken truce, the drug cartels declared a vendetta on the government and security forces and are waging it with their usual cruelty and intransigence (for this reason, two sworn enemies, the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels, even reconciled for a while). Those who did not run away and sell out are mercilessly shot. For example, in January 2008, drug cartel members pinned to the door of Juarez City Hall a list of 17 police officers who were sentenced to death. By September, ten of them were killed. Several district police chiefs have already asked for political asylum in the United States.

At the same time, not only regional officials, but also senior officials of the state are victims of cartel revenge. In November 2008, under strange circumstances, the plane of Juan Camilo Mourino, the presidential national security adviser, crashed. And in early February 2009, one of the most popular Mexican military officers, retired General Mauro Enrique Tello Quinones, was kidnapped, tortured and killed. Less than 24 hours before his abduction, he took up the post of security adviser to the mayor's office of Cancun, a resort town and one of the drug lords' recreation centers.

As a result, the cartels achieved their goal: they managed to intimidate the federal security forces. In the northern states, the positions of sheriff, prosecutor or mayor often remain vacant - they are simply afraid to fill them. Those who occupy try not to stay in one place for a long time (especially if this place is public). Nobody even knows where they spend the night.

In addition to the actual terror mafia exploit the military's mistakes. Mexican army soldiers, untrained for police duties and working in areas where drug production is the only source of livelihood for local residents, do not stand on ceremony with civilians. These facts are promoted in the press by Mexican human rights organizations (whose efforts, according to some sources, are often paid for by cartels). The soldiers, says Jose Luis Soberanes, president of the Mexican Human Rights Commission, “are committing terrible crimes - murder, rape. Therefore, using the army against drug cartels can only be a temporary solution to the problem.”

Drug lords won the most important victory - they managed to intimidate and turn the civilian population of the country against the government. "The cartels weren't about taking over the country," says Ray Walser. “With the help of terror, they are trying to influence public opinion, reduce Felipe Calderon’s rating, deprive his anti-drug campaign of popular support and ensure that Felipe Calderon is defeated in the next presidential elections.”

As a result, Mexicans are generally skeptical about the government's efforts to combat organized crime. According to a July 2008 poll conducted by the metropolitan Mexican newspaper Reforma, 53% of respondents believe that the cartels are winning the war with the government. Only 24% are of the opposite opinion.

From American trunks

But victory drug mafia would have been impossible without American weapons. The free sale of weapons in the United States is one of the main reasons for Calderon's defeat in the war against the cartels: 86% of illegal weapons supplied to Mexico come from the north bank of the Rio Grande. “In two years, we have seized more than 25,000 guns from the cartels, and 90 percent came from the United States,” says Mexican President Felipe Calderon. “And this is the entire range of weapons - right up to rocket launchers and machine guns.”

In Mexico itself you cannot buy so many weapons: domestic laws are very strict in this regard. Civilians wishing to buy weapons must first obtain permission from the military. They are also prohibited from possessing large-caliber shotguns or high-powered pistols, let alone semi-automatic weapons.

In the USA, as you know, almost anyone with a driver’s license and no criminal record can buy a gun. There are 110,000 sellers licensed to sell, 6,600 of which are located between Texas and San Diego. Therefore, for the purchase itself, Mexicans usually use fake Americans - “straw people” (mostly single mothers who do not arouse suspicion), who receive $50–100 for the service.

These fake people buy guns individually either from gun stores or at “gun shows” that take place every weekend in Arizona, Texas or California. Then the barrels are handed over to dealers, who, collecting a batch of several dozen, transport it across the border. And they make good money from it. For example, a used AK-47 can be bought in the States for $400, but south of the Rio Grande it will cost $1,500.

Armed in this way, drug cartel armies have mortars, heavy machine guns, anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, and fragmentation grenades. According to Mexican authorities, during the reign of Vicente Fox, about 2 thousand guns were imported into the country every day. Then, according to the Mexican newspaper La Reforma, the police managed to intercept only 8,088 guns, that is, 0.18% of the total number of deliveries. During Felipe Calderon's reign, the interception became better.

From January 1 to October 21, 2007, more than 6 thousand guns, 470 grenades and 552 thousand cartridges were intercepted. But this is still very little. “Understand that this trade is a procession of ants. There is not one large supplier, there are a bunch of small ones. And it’s simply impossible to detect them,” Terry Goddard, Attorney General of the US state of Arizona, comments on the problems of the Mexican authorities. After all, more than 100 million cars and 300 million people cross the US-Mexico border every year through 39 checkpoints.

Mexican border guards themselves cannot stop weapons traffic. Or rather, they don’t want to. “Mexicans are not particularly active in searching cars entering their territory from the north,” American journalist Ruben Navarette tells Expert. This passivity is explained by the fact that border guards are faced with the choice of “plata o plomo” (silver or lead). Many people prefer to take bribes and turn a blind eye to smuggling. Those who refuse "silver" usually do not live long. For example, in February 2007, an honest Mexican border guard detained a truck full of weapons. As a result, the Gulf cartel was missing 18 rifles, 17 pistols, 17 grenades, and more than 8 thousand rounds of ammunition. The next day the border guard was shot dead.

Scary world

The George W. Bush administration had much more ability to stop traffic. But any attempt to somehow tighten the rules for the sale of weapons in the United States ran into resistance from the most powerful weapons lobby - the National Arms Association (NRA), which used the Second Amendment to the Constitution as cover. The NRA protects the interests of gun manufacturers who make millions selling them to Mexican gangsters, especially after the gun lobby succeeded in overturning a ban on the sale of semi-automatic weapons in 2004.

Therefore, the NRA in every possible way sabotages the activities of the American Agency for Combating the Illegal Sale of Arms (ATF). NRA Director Wayne LaPierre has explicitly said that shutting down the ATF is one of his goals, and even compared the agency's employees to Nazis. Due in no small part to the NRA's efforts under Bush, the 6,600 gun dealers along the US-Mexico border were overseen by just 200 ATF agents.

Thanks to this policy, the NRA effectively became the lawyer for the Mexican drug mafia. Mexican drug traffickers bought guns with money made from selling drugs to the United States. And therefore, for the sake of the “iron flow” to the south, some forces in the United States turned a blind eye to the “white flow” to the north. Even George Bush himself, not wanting to quarrel with the NRA that supported him, limited his participation in solving Mexican problems to the construction of a wall and the adoption of a plan to help Mexico (“Merida Plan”), which was significantly reduced by Congress. As expected, both actions did not lead to any tangible results.

In recent months, the connection between the global economic crisis and the unchecked power of drug cartels has strengthened, and violence has spread into the United States. “Under George Bush, fights between drug cartels took place on Mexican territory. But in the past few months, violence has spilled over to the north bank of the Rio Grande. Kidnappings in Arizona, murders in Texas... If someone owes drug dealers 500 thousand dollars and runs away to Atlanta, they will go there, torture the debtor, kill him and take the money. And they won't care that they crossed the border. If drug dealers need it, they will go to Canada,” says Ruben Navarette.

They work closely with Mexican drug traffickers American mafia groups consisting of ethnic Mexicans. Thus, a gang operating in California works with Tijuana cartel , "Texas Syndicate" - with the Gulf Cartel, and the gang - with both. If we take into account that during the economic crisis the ranks of Mexican ethnic groups in America will significantly increase, we can conclude that the level of violence in the United States will increase every month. This will worsen the already difficult crime situation in the states bordering Mexico.

To make matters worse, in Los Angeles, for example, police officers are not required to ask a suspect about his immigration status before he is charged. In addition, in a number of cities, police do not have the right to arrest people for illegal immigration, even if it is known that these people are seasoned bandits. This could result in Mexican cartels soon controlling the entire American South.

As a result, the new American President Barack Obama faced the need for immediate intervention in Mexican affairs. He promised to increase financial aid to Mexico and at the same time significantly strengthen security measures at the American border. At the same time, unlike his predecessor, Obama is not friends with the weapons lobby, so perhaps he will be able to take control of the weapons problem, at least within the United States.

To stabilize the situation in Mexico, very serious and large-scale actions will be required from the United States. If they only fence off Mexico with a cordon sanitaire, but do not solve their problem with the sale of weapons and do not help Felipe Calderon fight organized crime, the desperate Mexican president may return to the previous proven form of coexistence with the cartels. There are already examples of such compromises. “City of Nuevo Laredo.

Quite recently there was a colossal level of violence there. Now everything is calm. And this did not happen because crime was defeated. It's just that one cartel defeated another. As a result, the flow of drugs did not stop, but peace and order were restored,” says Tom Miller. For Calderon, who has actually already lost the war, this may be the only hope for peace in the country. But for Mexico, this world could turn into the final collapse of the state, and for the United States - the detonation of a time bomb in their “backyard.”

The low standard of living of a significant part of the local population contributes to the emergence of numerous criminal elements in the country. Therefore, crime in Mexico is not only drug mafia and corrupt officials, but also petty thieves, scammers, kidnappers, blackmailers, etc. The degree of safety largely depends on the specific region of the country or area of ​​the city, but precautions should always be remembered.

The most dangerous regions of the country and disadvantaged areas of cities

The most dangerous states are Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Guerrero, Baja California, Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Veracruz. These are mainly northern territories, with the exception of Guerrero, Michoacan and Veracruz. The rampant crime here is associated with two factors: drug trafficking and illegal migration across the Mexican-American border. Coupled with the corrupt police, the situation certainly leaves much to be desired.

The high crime rate in the southern and eastern states is associated with the low standard of living of the population, for whom drug trafficking sometimes becomes the only means of survival.

State	Situation
Chihuahua	It borders the US states of Texas and New Mexico. It is here that the notorious city of Ciudad Juarez is located, which in 2009 ranked first in the world in the number of violent deaths per capita. Since 1993, feminicide—the mass murder of women—has been rampant here. There are many drug trafficking routes across the state. Marijuana cultivation has been cultivated in mountainous areas for decades.
Sinaloa	Located in the north-west of the country, it became famous thanks to one of the largest drug cartels with the same name.
Durango	In some cities in the state, for example, Gomez Palacio, until recently even the police were afraid to appear. This is one of the poorest states in the country, which is an active zone of drug mafia and criminal gangs.
Baja California	The place where another symbol of the Mexican underworld is located is the city of Tijuana. This is one of the centers for the transfer of illegal immigrants to the United States, as well as the smuggling of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.
Guerrero	Sometimes it is rightly called the “bloody state”. In 2014, 43 students disappeared here and were later found murdered. In March 2017, the massacre claimed the lives of 12 people at one time, in November 2016 - 24 men and women. Such incidents happen here regularly. There are several drug trafficking routes through the state, so the number of criminal elements here is incredibly high.
Michoacan	Located along the Pacific coast. The main population is non-Spanish speaking Indians. The state is a zone of influence of two competing drug trafficking groups. The associated high crime rate forced local residents to organize into self-defense units, conflicts between which often lead to shootouts.
Tamaulipas	It is located in the northeast of the country and borders Texas. For many years it has suffered from clashes between local gangs vying for influence in drug trafficking. One of the most disadvantaged cities in the state is border Reynosa. It's so dangerous here that the police have introduced a color-coded warning system.
Veracruz	A major port in the Gulf of Mexico and another area of ​​interest for drug cartels. The state became famous for the discovery on its territory of a mass grave of victims of criminal gangs with 250 skulls.

Authorities strongly discourage tourists from traveling through dangerous areas, especially alone. Here you risk being robbed, kidnapped or killed simply because you happen to have gold jewelry, some cash, an expensive camera or a nice car. The low standard of living and high concentration of unreliable citizens make even an ordinary walk along the streets dangerous in these areas. It doesn’t matter at all whether you are connected with criminal organizations or not.

Crime-prone and disadvantaged areas of Mexico City

Despite the fairly high standard of living and good police work, there are dangerous places in the capital of Mexico. The city is a patchwork quilt with a mix of rich and poor neighborhoods grouped around the tourist center.

Tepito is a metropolitan area favored by buyers of stolen goods, pimps, and drug dealers. It is located literally a 15-minute walk from the parliament. Tepito's calling card is showdowns between local gangs, invariably accompanied by stabbings and shootings. Tourists often disappear here. It is not surprising that even local taxi drivers will not take you deep into the area.

And finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the status of the debtor that is easiest to “forget” when getting ready for your next vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2018; we recommend finding out information about the presence of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

Such areas of Mexico City as Ciudad Azteca, Guerrero, Peraviya, Iztapalapa, La Paz, Iztapaluca, Nezavalcoyotl also have a bad reputation.

Cuidad de Basura (Garbage City) is an area that is not on the map. And yet it has its own transport, business related to waste recycling, canteens and traders. Extremely dangerous for tourists to visit.

In addition, crime in Mexico City thrives in the slums, where the poorest sections of the city's population barely survive. Any alleys and areas with the same type of low-rise buildings are potentially dangerous. So be careful!

Dangerous areas of Cancun

Cancun is a favorite vacation spot for thousands of tourists. It is one of the calmest cities in Mexico. But even here, dangers may await you; you just need to move a little away from the hotels and deviate from popular routes.

Conventionally, the city is divided into two parts: Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) and Downtown (Downtown). Downtown is the residential areas familiar to us. And although the crime rate in Cancun is significantly lower than the national average, it is recommended to walk and live here in fenced areas with 24-hour security at entry points.

Sona Rural is a rural area six kilometers from the city center, which until the 90s had a bad reputation due to the large number of slums and gangs operating there. Later it was landscaped, but the contingent remained the same. Ordinary Mexicans with low incomes live here. And if you don't want any problems, avoid walking in the area if possible.

The outskirts of the city, located an hour's drive from the beaches, are squalid slums with cesspools in the courtyards, local authorities and beggars. And the highest risk of becoming a victim of robbers.

Fraud in Mexico: how to avoid becoming a victim of deception

Fraud has become a means of survival in Mexico for a huge number of poorly educated and poor citizens.

For example, fake police officers can be found even in busy tourist areas. Therefore, if you are suddenly approached and demanded to pay a fine, do not hesitate to ask and check the documents of a law enforcement officer. And be sure to get accurate information about what they decided to fine you for.

Dishonest boat guides are another category of citizens who inflate prices for their services and profit from inattentive vacationers. When inviting you onto the boat, they tell you one price for a trip to see dolphins or turtles, and at the end of the voyage they tell you another price, significantly higher than the original one. And to leave the boat, you have no choice but to pay. Therefore, negotiate the full cost of the trip in advance - this way you will save your money.

Remember that gas station attendants in Mexico have no official salary. Their bread is tips. So if you give an employee a large bill, you may not receive change. That is why you should calculate in advance how much you will refuel for, and prepare bills for payment and tips.

Card readers with video cameras in street ATMs are a modern method of robbery. They allow scammers to obtain your card's magnetic stripe data and PIN code. Therefore, in order not to lose funds, use ATMs at bank branches or located in shopping centers. And give preference not to credit cards with a large limit, but to debit cards with a limited amount of funds on them.

Sellers of exotic goods and animals are another category of citizens with whom it is better not to deal in Mexico. The fact that you were sold an item made from the skin of a jaguar, a turtle shell, or the feathers of a quetzal bird does not at all guarantee the legality of the transaction. Checking your belongings and finding similar goods in them when leaving the territory of some states can result in confiscation, a serious fine and even imprisonment.

Kidnappings for ransom in Mexico

In 2020, Mexico set a sad record: the country ranked first in the world in the number of kidnappings. However, the number of such crimes still remains very significant. Thus, in the first half of 2020, 867 people were kidnapped in the country.

The average ransom for a member of a wealthy family is about $200,000. The relatives of the kidnapped person are given no more than a month to collect the required amount. For a simple tourist they can ask $3000-$5000. But even after paying the required amount, kidnapped people are often killed.

Currently, the crime rate in Mexico is so high that absolutely everyone is at risk - from wealthy tourists to relatives of gang leaders.

Following these simple recommendations will help you avoid the fate of being kidnapped:

• use official taxi services;
• do not meet on social networks and do not go on blind dates;
• do not display expensive items or jewelry that indicate your wealth;
• avoid slums;
• do not hitchhike;
• try to walk in the company of familiar people or accompanied by a guide.

In the northern and central states of Mexico, the number of kidnappings of girls aged 15-17 years for the purpose of their subsequent sale to brothels is steadily increasing. So you shouldn’t attract too much attention to yourself with revealing clothes and relaxed behavior.

Organized crime groups in Mexico

The scope of activity of Mexican organized crime groups is the illegal transportation and trafficking of drugs. The damage caused to the country as a result of their division of spheres of influence is so great that in 2020 one of the local companies even offered everyone insurance against organized crime. In addition, organized crime in Mexico is closely intertwined with government agencies and the police.

Drug cartels, criminal organizations of varying sizes and levels of influence, have literally divided the country among themselves like a pie. Their confrontation leads to massive armed conflicts, causing kidnappings and major robberies.

In addition to drug cartels, there are also a lot of small gangs operating in the country.

Changes in organized crime in Mexico

Organized crime in Mexico dates back to the 1980s. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, organized criminal groups in the country underwent serious changes. Their result was a significant expansion of the cartels' areas of activity through the theft of software, the supply of live goods to brothels, smuggling and the illegal import of weapons.

The low standard of living and the inability to provide a normal life legally leads to the fact that the source of income for large areas of Mexico is smuggling or growing marijuana. At the same time, entire states are involved in internecine wars, as a result of which thousands of people die.

Since the 2000s, due to political changes in the country and the loss of previous loyalty on the part of the authorities, the cartels, in fact, challenged the state. All their efforts were aimed at protecting drug transportation routes. And in this matter they did not disdain any methods.

In recent years, the cartels' appetites have begun to spread to the central regions of Mexico. And this jeopardizes the country's national security.

The process of globalization in the Mexican drug business

Guatemala, Belize and Honduras are countries that have become areas of interest for Mexican drug cartels in the 21st century. Having extensive connections in Africa and Asia, Mexican groups have seriously strengthened their positions and achieved the unification of local criminal structures with Colombian ones. Using the patronage of state authorities and police representatives, they formed stable groups that became famous for their particular cruelty.

The experience of the mid-2000s showed that even after defeat, such cartels do not disappear, but are revived under new names and with new leaders at their head. At the same time, structures that control drug markets in the United States began to enjoy special influence.

Consequences of the merging of state and criminal structures

One of the reasons making it difficult to fight organized crime in Mexico is the involvement of government officials and the police in its structures. Indicative in this regard is the arrest in 2008 of the head of the Mexican anti-drug agency, Noe Ramirez, who was convicted of connections with the criminal world and receiving bribes from the largest Sinaloa cartel. By reporting on planned police operations, he had been thwarting efforts to combat the drug trade in a particular region for years. And this is far from an isolated case. A wave of such revelations seriously undermined the population's trust in the authorities.

Currently, the drug mafia in Mexico is not only thriving, but partially absorbing the state: gang leaders often become the heads of municipalities, and corrupt judges and police officers ensure their safety.

Problems of corruption in Mexico

According to a 2020 study by Transparency International (TI), Mexican political parties were the most corrupt institutions. One of the reasons for corruption in the country is the huge size of bribes offered to officials.

The authorities never tire of reminding us of the negative impact that corruption in Mexico has on the country’s development:

• public order is disrupted;
• democratic institutions are weakening;
• economic damage is caused.

At the same time, the problems of general prosecutorial supervision in Mexico are very acute - dishonest servants of Themis simply turn a blind eye to existing violations of the laws. Thus, as a result of one of the personnel purges in the country, 1,200 police officers were fired.

Against this background, the creation in 2020 of a coordination council, which included the Ministry of Civil Service, the Federal Audit Service, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the Supreme Tribunal for Administrative Justice, seems logical.

Speaking about which anti-corruption body has been created in Mexico, it should be understood that this is not one organization, but a multifunctional structure consisting of several important sectors. The formation of a closed coordination council will help to avoid the penetration of criminal elements into the control and justice system.

Social inequality in Mexico and related conflicts

According to research by Coneval (National Council for Social Policy), in 2020, 46.2% of the population lived below the poverty line in Mexico. At the same time, there are 14 billionaires living in the country.

The largest percentage of poor people is among Indians - more than 70%. Geographically, these are the southern states of Mexico. A sign of belonging to the middle class in a country is the presence of a washing machine in the house.

Representatives of the country's white population predominate in leadership positions and among officials, which causes a negative reaction from the rest of the citizens.

Regressive taxes are one of the reasons for the significant stratification of Mexican society: the rich pay proportionally less than the poor. And this only enhances the existing contrasts.

A major problem in Mexico has been the increase in the number of women working. Deciding that they were taking away their jobs, many men turned to active violent actions. And this is not only rape, but also murder. This phenomenon is called feminicide.

Penalties for various types of offenses in Mexico

Penalties for various types of offenses in Mexico are determined primarily by the Mexican Administrative Code and the Mexican Federal Criminal Code.

Despite the high crime rate in the country, the death penalty has been almost completely abolished. It was replaced by life imprisonment for up to 70 years or more. Exceptions: treason against the Motherland during a war with foreign countries, parricide, treacherous murder, arson, kidnapping, highway robbery, as well as piracy and serious military crimes.

Possession of more than 15 grams of drugs can result in a hefty fine and even a prison sentence of up to 25 years.

You can be fined $20-30 for smoking in a public place. There are penalties in Mexico for kissing in public places - for this you can be sent to correctional labor or fined. Smiling or winking at a girl you don't know may be considered an attempted rape.

Cellular phones in the country are only allowed to be used by people over 14 years of age.

Mexico officially prohibits torture, flogging, confiscation of property, branding, and punishments involving the deprivation of body parts. At the same time, the country does not have a system for protecting consumer rights at the legislative level.

Law enforcement officials may detain you for a maximum of three days until the circumstances are clarified.

Features of the work of the Mexican police

The Mexican Federal Police (abbreviated PF) was created not so long ago - in 1998. It was based on such units as the financial and traffic police, as well as intelligence units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the military police brigade. The main function of the Federal Police is to combat drug trafficking in the country.

Due to the hostile environment, police officers in Mexico are generally well armed. Their uniforms are black or blue. In tourist areas, law enforcement officials treat visitors quite favorably and provide all possible assistance to those who contact them.

In 2020, the National Gendarmerie was formed, the main function of which was to ensure order in border areas, in the territory of strategically important ports and airports, and oil centers.

In addition, community policing and civil self-defense groups are active in the country.

Confrontation between the state and drug cartels in Mexico

Felipe Calderon is the leader of the Mexican state, who went down in history as the man who declared war on the drug cartels. The army and navy became its support. Information support was provided by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The result of numerous sweeps and arrests was the liquidation of several large drug cartels. At the same time, the leaders of these entities, after their arrest, were extradited to the United States, where they could not be helped with their escape by corrupt courts and prison authorities, as in their homeland.

However, the cost of this war was more than 57 thousand civilian deaths, which led to the formation of an anti-war movement, as a result of which Enrique Peña Nieto came to power.

The methods of the new government are devoid of a forceful component. First of all, the country’s leader showed a willingness to negotiate with the leaders of the drug cartels, which resulted in a slight decrease in the level of violence in the regions they controlled. In addition, the country is focusing on legalizing soft drugs, which is depriving illegal dealers of profits. For example, for a serving up to 10 g you are not in danger.

The difficulty of fighting drug cartels is partly due to the fact that, despite their criminal activities, they never disdained charity, large donations to the church and invested in the improvement of the territories under their control. This still provides them with support from the local population.

The government's response was the introduction of a national program for the social prevention of violence and crime, launched in 2020, which supports the poorest sectors of Mexican society. Thanks to this, the war on crime in Mexico received support from the local population. One example of the program is the street improvement in Gomez Palacio, Durango. Another example is the rehabilitation of streets in the Nuevo Mexico area, Torreon, Coahuila. And there are more and more positive results!

How to make your trip to Mexico safe: the main rules

Mexico is a country where you can easily be approached with a knife or gun in broad daylight. Moreover, criminals will actually be ready to use their weapons to take your wallet or phone.

Crime statistics in Mexico are depressing: according to a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the country ranked second in the number of violent homicides in 2020. Over the past ten years, about 200,000 people have died in the country and about 30,000 have gone missing.

Despite this, if you follow a number of rules, traveling around Mexico will become not only interesting, but also safe.

1. Try to avoid wallets stuffed with cash and cards that protrude seductively from your trouser pockets. You don't want to attract the attention of robbers, do you? You should not put all your available funds in one bag or pocket, so as not to lose everything at once. The best solution would be to store cash and cards in different places, and so that they are not visible.
2. You should not take your laptop with you on a walk. It is better to keep the camera in your bag and take it out only when taking photos. At the same time, it is better to give preference to an ordinary digital point-and-shoot device rather than expensive equipment - the chances of being robbed and losing the second one are much greater. It is generally recommended to leave valuable property in hotel safes - it should be borne in mind that in poor areas local authorities can “confiscate” any valuables for walking through their territory.
3. It is not recommended to attract undue attention to yourself by wearing too expensive or revealing clothes - keep it simple and try to blend in with the crowd outwardly.
4. It is preferable to carry bags in your hands, since the straps are often cut off, stealing property.
5. Carry a photocopy of your passport with you, leaving the original document in a safe place.
6. It is recommended to call a taxi by phone and write down not only the car number, but also the taxi driver’s license number. When traveling in your own or rented car, choose toll roads - they are the safest. Don't hitchhike.
7. Do not take photographs without the permission of local residents, especially Indians - this can cause an extremely negative reaction.

Life in Mexico: Video

Mexican drug lords, their cronies and those who simply imitate them today have their own music, their own cinema and even their own patron saint. The Mexican drug culture did not leave the country for many decades, remaining a completely unknown phenomenon to the rest of the world.

Everything has changed in recent years, when, following migrants and smugglers, the drug culture literally poured into the United States. Today, documentaries are made about her, books are written and even plays are staged.

The prerequisites for the emergence of a drug culture should be sought in the distant past - when Mexico was not yet Mexico, and the Indians who inhabited these lands could no longer imagine their life without peyote. In the 16th century, Spanish conquerors brought hemp here, and at the end of the 19th century, opium poppy arrived in the country along with Chinese immigrants.

Peasants treated drugs as ordinary agricultural crops, with little difference in importance from potatoes or corn. But when a ban on the same opium and hemp was introduced in the United States, the cunning Mexicans quickly realized that they could make good money by transporting prohibited plants abroad. The ban on the cultivation of cannabis and poppy was introduced only at the beginning of the 20th century, and even then under pressure from the United States. In the country itself, peasants continued to quietly grow, transport and sell poppy and hemp. True, now it was necessary to unfasten local officials, ranging from minor police ranks all the way up to the governor.
The Great Depression in America became a real high point for drug-growing artisans. It was about completely different money, and small groups in which peasants united to protect their business began to sort things out not with their fists, but with the help of weapons.

Years passed, whole caravans with drugs stretched from Mexico to the USA, and other caravans - loaded with money - came towards them.

Major drug cartels in Mexico

№ 1
SINAOLA CARTEL (PACIFIC CARTEL)
Originating in the state of Sinaola on the west coast of Mexico, this cartel quickly spread its influence to several states: Baja California, Durango, Chihuahua and Sonora. The cartel is headed by Joaquin Guzman Loera, nicknamed El Chapo, who after the murder of Osama bin Laden became the first on the list of the most wanted criminals.

№ 2
GOLF CARTEL (GULF CARTEL)
Based in the city of Matamoros on the Gulf Coast. A small number of fighters of the head of the cartel were compensated by mercenaries from the former military. In the late 1990s, this mercenary army became a separate cartel - Los Zetas.

№ 3
LOS SETAS CARTEL
Los Zetas fighters are among the most trained, as they are recruited from retired police and military personnel. In skirmishes with competitors or federal troops, the cartel uses a rich arsenal of weapons that not every army can boast of. In addition, Los Zetas is distinguished by the fact that they conduct real special operations, actively using special forces tactics, weapons and technical equipment.

№ 4
TIJUANA CARTEL
A major cartel that controls the northwestern part of Mexico. It was formed around the same time as the Sinaol cartel, so it is considered one of the oldest in the country. Interestingly, the founder of the cartel is a peasant from Sinaola, Luis Fernando Sanchez Alleriano. Steven Soderbergh made his famous film “Traffic” about the life of his family.

№ 5
TEMPLE CARTEL
This organization was created after the collapse of the La Familia cartel. Much attention is paid to the ideological training of fighters, forcing them to take an oath to “fight and die for social justice.” True, it is not very clear what meaning these guys mean by the concept of “social justice”.
Has its own combat wing - grouping
La Resistencia, whose main task is the war with Los Zetas.

Over time, the image of the smuggler has also changed. Where once the drug smuggler was just a guy living next door, he has now become a legendary figure, a defender of the poor and a cruel executioner of those who wrong the common people. Considering that many Mexican states live solely on the production or transportation of drugs, drug lords in the eyes of local residents really look like benefactors, providing work and not allowing them to starve.

Mexican youth, especially from poor neighborhoods, sought to join the ranks of drug cartels because they simply had no other prospects for a better life. Some succeeded in this, while others were forced to only imitate the appearance, manner of speaking and habits of local smugglers. This is how narcos appeared, who became the main drivers and figures of the Mexican drug culture.

The cradle of drug culture is considered to be the state of Sinaola, where the cartel of the same name is based - one of the largest and most influential in Mexico. It is a rare resident of the state who is not associated with the production or smuggling of drugs, and drug lords and cartel members are respected here by everyone without exception.

The clothing style of narcos has undergone major changes since its inception, following the fashion of a particular period. But the enduring classic remains the commitment to the cowboy style characteristic of the border regions of Mexico: hats with curved brims, classic jeans, belts with weighty badges, embroidered shirts and pointed boots made of genuine leather. Among young drug addicts today, T-shirts with aggressive prints on the theme of drug trafficking and cartel life, embroidered leather jackets and fake polo shirts with giant logos are in fashion.

More serious guys prefer popular European brands such as Guess, Gucci, Burberry or Ralph Lauren. The latter was a total embarrassment: drug lords Edgar Valdez Villarreal, nicknamed Barbie, and Jose Jorge Balderas, arrested in 2010 and 2011, were wearing polo from this manufacturer at the time of their arrest. The exhaust was so loud that now in Mexico and the neighboring American states these shirts are associated exclusively with the drug business in the eyes of the average person.

Catholic Latin America has always been famous for the abundance of saints invented by the people, who are responsible for almost every aspect of the life of a believer. The mixture of Christianity and Indian totemism gave rise to a bizarre religion, in which there is a place for both the baby Jesus in a poncho and the Virgin Mary in the image of Saint Death.

Narcos also have their own patron saint. Jesus Malverde - “drug saint”, “generous bandit”. It is not known for certain whether such a person actually existed. It is believed that the prototype of Jesus Malverde could be a certain “noble robber” who robbed the rich and distributed goods to the poor. In 1903, this nameless folk hero fell into the hands of the authorities and was executed. According to legend, the tree on which he was hanged withered and never turned green again.

The cult of Jesus Malverde, whom the official Catholic Church does not want to recognize as a saint, is especially widespread in the state of Sinaola. There is even a chapel dedicated to the “generous bandit” in the state capital of Culiacan.

The children of drug lords, raised in luxury, have become a separate phenomenon within the Mexican drug culture. Unlike their fathers and grandfathers, they were born in cities, in luxurious conditions, never wanting for anything. They are not very concerned about the practical side of their parents’ business, but they borrow the external environment very willingly.

Kilograms of jewelry, hefty wads of money, luxurious clothes, expensive cars and gold-trimmed weapons are the main attributes of any self-respecting drug junior.

The main difference between drug juniors and their fathers and grandfathers is moral principles, or rather the lack thereof. If old-school narcos always put family and neighbors at the forefront, then for junior narcos all these words are an empty phrase. As a result, the poor, who were once supported by old-school cartel gangsters, today often suffer from the unmotivated aggression of drug juniors who live by the principle “I’ll do it because I can.”