Mexican Drug War

Voters in Colorado and Michigan approve marijuana measures (and so do voters in Portland, Maine--see our news brief), another New Mexico anal drug search victim emerges and the Mexican military moves into Lazaro Cardenas.

Here's our first try at altering our format to continue to bring you comprehensive coverage of what's going on in the war on drugs and the world of drug reform. Look for this or something similar on a daily basis from now on.

Mexico's drug wars continue to take a thousand lives a month, the army is still deeply involved, and the high-profile busts of cartel capos continue apace. What's new about Mexico's drug wars under Pena Nieto?

Two new books on Mexico's drug war shine much needed light on the human costs of the prohibition-related violence, as well as the struggle for Juarez.

Another Mexican drug cartel myth has been demolished. Add "the cartels operate in 1,000 US cities" to the trash heap along with "the cartels are growing marijuana in the national forests."

Citing the failure of the US and Mexican governments to respond to requests to elaborate a strategic vision for Mexican drug war assistance, Sen. Patrick Leahy has put a hold on $95 million in Plan Merida spending.

The Western Mexican state of Michoacan is becoming the latest hotspot in Mexico's drug wars, and now, a high-ranking Mexican Navy officer has been killed.

If you have an interest in American history and how we got to where we are with the war on drugs, you need to read Smuggler Nation. You'll be glad you did.

With the arrest of Zetas leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales on Monday, the two books on the Mexican drug war we review this week couldn't be more timely. Be forewarned, though, some of this is really nasty stuff.

The Mexican government scored a major coup this week with the capture of Miguel Angel "Z-40" Trevino Morales, the head of the powerful Zetas cartel. But will it stem the violence or the flow of drugs? One observer thinks not.