Tagged: Pablo Acosta

Introduction by the author

This book came about because of the kidnapping of an American newspaper photographer by a Juarez drug trafficker, a brutal and unprecedented event that caused an international scandal and brought about the downfall of one of the major drug traffickers of the time.

Until the kidnapping, I didn’t have much interest in the subject of drugs. Drug trafficking was part of the background noise of the El Paso-Juarez region where I worked as a reporter. It was low keyed even in its violence; it did not draw too much attention to itself. My journalistic work, which had begun for the El Paso Herald-Post in 1984, focused primarily on reporting on a political movement in northern Mexico that was challenging the entrenched one-party system that had ruled Mexico since 1929. Juarez, the largest city in the state of Chihuahua, was the scene of what today would be called a “color” revolution — a democratic movement that used tactics of non-violent resistance to achieve its goals. Such a revolution was unfolding only ten blocks south of the newspaper, just on the other side of the Rio Grande. Read more »

Netflix’s Narcos fourth season to introduce Ojinaga’s Pablo Acosta

(TVLINE)– After three seasons chronicling the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the aftermath of his demise, Netflix’s Narcos franchise is turning its attention to birth of the Mexican drug war.

The first full-length trailer for Narcos: Mexico sets the scene, taking viewers back to the year 1980 to witness the infancy of the Guadalajara Cartel, led by “the Rockefeller of marijuana” Félix Gallardo (Rogue One‘s Diego Luna). We’re also introduced to DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Gracepoint‘s Michael Peña), who moves his family from California to Guadalajara. Little does he know that his latest assignment will be his toughest challenge yet, as “a tragic chain of events unfold, affecting the drug trade and the war against it for years to come,” according to the official logline.

The fourth season will also bring to the screen Ojinaga’s Pablo Acosta, played by Geraldo Taracena (Apocalypto).

Narcos launched in August 2015. After its first two seasons focused exclusively on cocaine kingpin Escobar, Season 3 turned its attention to the rise of the Cali Cartel after his death. Originally set to return for Season 4, the series has instead come back as Narcos: Mexico, which Netflix is billing as Season 1 of a new spinoff series.

The complete 10-episode season is set to release on Friday, Nov. 16.

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About Drug Lord, the Life and Death of a Mexican Kingpin

Pablo Acosta posed for the author in front of the shot up Ford Bronco he was in when ambushed by a rival drug trafficker.

Donald Trump wants to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, and he vowed to do so if he became president of the United States. The wall, he argued, will stop the flow of drugs into the country as well as impede the illegal entry of people across the border. Whether Trump is right or wrong about the need for a wall is a matter of fierce debate that will only grow in intensity now that he is president.

What cannot be disputed, however, is that there is a huge volume of drugs coming across the border, no different than in the past. There is also a greater influx of people coming now from all parts of the world than ever before. Who are these people? What is their motive for entering the United States?

Another matter than is beyond dispute is that smuggling activities related to drugs and people are controlled by organized crime groups, and to some extent organized crime is controlled by agencies of the government of Mexico. Read more »