Violence between drug cartels is escalating in the Mexican town of Nuevo Laredo, directly across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas. Alex Chadwick discusses the situation with Dallas Morning News reporter Alfredo Corchado.
ALEX CHADWICK, host: This is DAY TO DAY.  I'm Alex Chadwick.  Coming up, racing downhill with      lunatic middle-aged skateboarders.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: First, to the sun-blistered border city of Nuevo Laredo of Mexico, a hub      for drug traffickers on their way north into Texas.  Drug cartels warring      over the control of the smuggling routes are killing civilians and police      officers almost daily.  In an effort to control the chaos, the Mexican      government suspended the local police force and sent in troops and      federal police to investigate corruption.  I spoke about the situation      earlier with Dallas Morning News reporter Alfredo Corchado.  He's there      covering the story.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Alfredo, welcome to DAY TO DAY, and tell me, what is the situation now in      Nuevo Lardeo with the federales in control?</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): Well, it's an interesting      day today because after more than a month, the city police is back on      duty today. Many were being investigated for corruption, for alliances      with the drug cartels.  Today after a month and a half, they're back on      the streets, so people are kind of either nervous or anticipating even      more violence.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: There's a new police chief.  He's been on duty about two weeks      now. His predecessor was shot dead last month just a few hours after he      took office.  How is this new chief going to do?</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): Well, for one thing, he has bodyguards.  The last one, as      you said, was killed, I think seven hours after he took over his job, on      his way home.  Omar Pimentel, the new chief, says that he has learned a      lesson, and he has a number of bodyguards with him.  He's promised to      raise the pay for the cops and has promised to cut on corruption.  He      says they're training at least 600 additional cops.  Today they're back      on the streets, but only half of the 755 actually have jobs.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: I hadn't realized this, but I guess Nuevo Laredo has really      become a very important transshipment point for drug trafficking.</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): Yes.  No-Laredo, or the Laredo area, is the number-one      entry point for land trade.  The I-35 corridor--it's very coveted by the      competing drug cartels.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: What about these two gangs that are fighting for control here?      There's the Juarez cartel, that I gather is based in Juarez, Mexico, and      a Gulf cartel.</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): Yes, you have those two cartels.  One is--the Juarez      cartel is also known as the Sinaloa cartel.  That part of the      organization is run by a man named Joaquin el Chapo Guzman.  His arming      forces are known as the Men in Black or the Zeros--they're      ex-paramilitary, deserters from the Mexican army--vs. the Gulf cartel,      whose arming forces are the Zetas; they're also former paramilitary      groups.  Now the core members of the Zetas were trained in the United      States to take on drug cartels.  Osiel Cardenas, who is the leader of the      Gulf cartel, basically bribed them and said, you know, `How much money      are you making?  I'll double it, if not triple it,' and at least 31      members deserted the Mexican military and are now working for the Gulf      cartel.  And that's why the level of violence is so bloody here along the      border.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: And these are well-trained former soldiers, in some cases      trained by the US.</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): Exactly.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: So these drug cartels have been battling each other in Nuevo      Laredo to get access to I-35.  How do the people there think things are      going to go with their own police force back in control?  I mean, what do      people think is going to happen there?</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): Well, actually, it's kind of interesting, because when the      federales came in and took the local police off the force, many of the      local businesspeople and local normalmentes we applauding the move.  But      now weeks later, they're kind of happy to see the force back because      ironically, over the weekend Reforma, the Mexico City newspaper, had a      story showing that since the federales came in, the murder rate has      actually increased.  In 41 days of what President Fox calls Operation      Safe Mexico, there've been registered 35 deaths, or at least one every 28      hours.  Also the rate on assaults, rate on--of kidnappings has increased      by about 50 percent.  So people are kind of--we were talking to some      merchants last night and they were saying it's better the devil you know      than the one you don't know.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Alfredo Corchado of the Dallas Morning News on developments in      Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Alfredo, thank you.</s>Mr. ALFREDO CORCHADO (Dallas Morning News): My pleasure.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: I'm Alex Chadwick.  More just ahead on DAY TO DAY from NPR      News.