Could unchecked cartel violence mean more U.S. involvement?
Despite rumors of a possible truce between warring drug cartels in Mexico, the pace of murder and mayhem has increased in Juarez, where street shootings, decapitations and other forms of killing are on the rise. And if the violence continues to intensify, the U.S. government is considering ways it can enhance its role in battling the cartel — more joint operations along the border involving contractors, military and intelligence personnel, according to published reports. So far this year, 130 people have been slain in Juarez. By this time last year only 37 murders had been recorded. That’s a foreboding pace, since 1,609 murders were recorded in Juarez in 2008. If that rate of increase continues, Juarez could see more than 4,000 murders this year.
