 As an author of six books, Blancornelas was regarded by the press as a leading expert on organized crime and drug trafficking during his time.He was also the first man to publish a photograph of Ramón Arellano Félix, the former drug lord of the Tijuana Cartel.In response to the photo publication, the cartel attempted to kill Blancornelas in 1997, but he managed to survive the attack and continued to report on the workings of Mexico's criminal underworld.