U.S. Mexico drug wars

Then-Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos (right) with then-U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at the Pentagon in 2017. Cienfuegos was arrested Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport.

U.S. Arrests Mexico's Ex-Defense Chief, Accused Of Helping Drug Cartel

9:02pm October 16, 2020

by Mark Katkov

Retired Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos was allegedly known as "El Padrino" and worked on behalf of a deadly criminal organization while he was defense chief from 2012 to 2018, according to a court filing.

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Marijuana plants are grown for medicinal purposes in a clandestine greenhouse in Mexico City in 2015. Mexico legalized medical marijuana in 2017, but recreational pot remains largely illegal.

World News

In Mexico, Is Legalized Pot Just A Pipe Dream?

4:14pm February 05, 2018

by Emily Green

The Mexican tourism secretary said travel destinations like Cancún and Baja California Sur should legalize marijuana.

A Mexican soldier piles poppies for incineration near the town of Tlacotepec, in Guerrero state, Mexico. The army says it slashes and burns poppy when fields are too difficult to access by helicopter or when they want to protect fruits and vegetables grow

World News

On The Hunt For Poppies In Mexico — America's Biggest Heroin Supplier

5:02pm January 14, 2018

by James Fredrick

The Mexican army gave NPR a firsthand look at its efforts to eradicate the flowering crop that's made into heroin.

In this file photo, Dr. Jose Manuel Mireles speaks during an interview Dec. 1, 2013. Mireles is one of the subjects of the new film Cartel Land which follows vigilante groups fighting drug gangs.

National

'Cartel Land' Follows Vigilantes Fighting Mexican Drug Gangs

5:55pm February 27, 2016

Director Matthew Heineman embedded himself up close in the action — and the moral ambiguity — of citizen groups who are fighting back against drug cartels in Mexico.

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A Mexican soldier stands guard next to marijuana packages in Tijuana following the discovery of a tunnel under the U.S.-Mexico border in 2010.

'Narconomics': How The Drug Cartels Operate Like Wal-Mart And McDonald's

12:47pm February 16, 2016

The cartels' business models are similar to those of big-box stores and franchises, says Tom Wainwright, former Mexico City bureau chief for The Economist. His new book is Narconomics.

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Top Official Says Inside Help Was Likely In 'El Chapo' Escape

2:50pm July 16, 2015

U.S. authorities had wanted Joaquin Guzman extradited, in part over fears that he would get out again. Mexican authorities refused. His escape likely will deepen distrust between the countries.

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Matamoros had a reputation as a laid-back border town and was relatively quiet when NPR paid a visit last year. Now, a feud between rival drug gangs keeps citizens inside and visitors away.

World News

Matamoros Becomes Ground Zero As Drug War Shifts On Mexican Border

8:00pm April 01, 2015

by John Burnett

Violence has descended on the once laid back tourist town of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas. From mechanics to Twitter users, residents are feeling the effects of a turf war.

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