Since Mexican President Felipe Calderón dispatched the military to fight drug traffickers in late 2006, drug-related homicides have surged from 2,826 in 2007 to 15,273 last year. But 2011 saw another trend: the dispersion of violence to places typically unaccustomed to it, such as the industrial city of Monterrey and the Gulf coast city of Veracruz.
Drug traffickers, facing pressure in Mexico, have steadily been moving into Central America. This year saw them gain a greater foothold there, threatening already weak judicial systems and police apparatuses. In May, gunmen in Guatemala stormed a ranch and killed 27 people – most of them were decapitated. It was the worst act of violence in Guatemala since the end of the country’s civil war, and was blamed on Mexico’s Zetas.
Sara Miller Llana is our Mexico City bureau chief.
Highlights of the Monitor's coverage of Mexico's drug war:
Mexico drug war casualty: Citizenry suffers post-traumatic stress – by Sara Miller Llana in Veracruz, Mexico
Mexican families struggle to find drug war's disappeared – by Sara Miller Llana in Mexico City
How Mexico's drug war also prevents positive news from being reported – by Sara Miller Llana in Mexico City
