America?s preoccupation with the drug war has for the last decade centered on Colombia and the enormous financial stake the US has invested in Plan Colombia. However, until recently, the US has turned a blind eye to the growing problem developing just across the US border. Mexican cities such as Nuevo Laredo, Acapulco, and Tijuana, which were once attractive destinations for American maquiladoras and US tourists, have become havens for rival drug cartels that are seeking control of the lucrative gateway to the north. Those that control the points of entry into the US control the entire Mexican drug shipment enterprise. No price is to great to pay or crime to extreme to commit.

However, US and Mexican officials are increasingly concerned about the role that Mexican law enforcement and military personnel are playing in the growing cartel war. Underpaid security personnel have chosen to seek a share of the flourishing narcotics business and are becoming increasingly corruptible. Mexican federal agents and military personnel have begun to offer their services to the highest bidder, becoming a sort of mercenary force while retaining an allegiance to the Mexican state and people.