2012 Drug War Killings

Canada says it will legalize marijuana by July 1, 2018 (or does it?); Chris Christie will be named White House "drug commissioner," Illinoisans are ready to legalize weed, and more.

The fight over legalization continues in DC, Jamaica is now one vote away from decriminalizing ganja, the NHTSA has a study out saying there is no evidence pot use increases the risk of crashes, and more.

Decriminalization and medical marijuana bills are being filed left and right, Maine says pot patients can be unfit parents, Oregon says pot patients can't operate child care centers, New York City pays out big time for the killing of a black youth over weed, Jamaica's decrim bill advances, and more.

Two killer narcs face consequences for their actions, New York is set to become the 23rd medical marijuana state, the Pope comments on drug policy, prohibition-related violence flares in Mexico and Peru, and more.

An increase in police deaths by gunfire last year and the bloody Ogden, Utah, drug raid that left one officer dead last week are causing some police to think again about the utility of aggressive drug raids.

A Texas trooper who shot and killed two Guatemalan immigrants from a helicopter as he pursued what he thought was a drug load has been cleared of any criminal misdoing. But at least Texas authorities have had to revise their policy on the use of deadly force from the air.

Something unusual has happened. A police officer is going to prison for killing someone in the drug war. A New Orleans cop has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in the death of 20-year-old Wendell Anderson in a drug raid last year.

Some Utah narcs are having a spotlight shone on them, an NYPD cop goes down for robbing drug dealers, and a Florida deputy gets caught buying pain pills and stealing them from his aunt.

For two years Drug War Chronicle has tracked cases in the US of drug war carnage related to drug law enforcement. Here is a preliminary look at last year's.

A Puerto Rican narcotics officer becomes the year's 29th drug war fatality after being ambushed in his vehicle Tuesday night.