The killings often involve extreme sadism, mass executions, decapitations and torture, from the simple (cigarette burns, bones crushed to pieces) to the macabre (being buried alive) to the unpredictable (in two instances in September, narco mafiosos burst into drug rehab clinics, lined people up against the wall, and shot twenty-eight dead, most execution style.
     These observations reflect my personal experiences on the ground in Juárez, during a brief trip. For a broader understanding of what is happening there, I’ll direct you to Philip Caputo’s great piece on the Narco Wars in the December issue of the Atlantic Monthly, entitled, “The Fall of Mexico”, with photographs by Julián Cardona. Highly recommend reading (Google it).
     I flew to El Paso and walked over a short bridge that connects to Juárez. The difference between the US and Mexico was a mere blur.
     I arrived at my hotel at 3:30 P.M. expecting to take a minute to shower and eat, but immediately my interpreter rolled in with calls about murders. At least five people were gunned down in locations citywide.