Sylvia Longmire's Profile

Six Americans Follow in the Footsteps of Dead Migrants in ‘Borderland’

It’s very rare for a television show to come along that makes me think, This could really change everything. In a political time in our country when we are deeply divided over the best way to achieve immigration reform and... Continue reading

Posted Apr 7, 2014 at Mexico's Drug War

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Controversy Reemerges Over US Drones in Mexico

On February 22nd, the details of the arrest of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán were slow to emerge. The notorious leader of the Sinaloa Federation, the largest and most powerful drug cartel in Mexico, had been on the... Continue reading

Posted Mar 1, 2014 at Mexico's Drug War

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Cartel Kingpin Arrest Signals the End of an Era for Mexican Drug War

The arrest on Saturday morning of the Sinaloa cartel’s front man, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, was not just a victory for the Mexican government. It foretold the end of the mafia-esque era of “old school” drug cartels that characterized several... Continue reading

Posted Feb 24, 2014 at Mexico's Drug War

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Mainstream Media Has Failed to Cover Cartels, Border Security

Our southwest border with Mexico is completely unlike any other part of the United States. It is also a place that needs to be personally experienced in order to fully understand the complexities and nuances of life next to another... Continue reading

Posted Feb 20, 2014 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Mexico vigilantes in turf war with drug cartel."

Here is an excerpt from this Associated Press article in The Guardian: "Hundreds of vigilantes in Mexico were involved in a gun battle with a drug cartel over the weekend in a fight to control territory. Members of so-called self-defence... Continue reading

Posted Jan 13, 2014 at Mexico's Drug War

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New eLearn Courses About Mexico's Drug War

I'm very excited to announce that I've expanded my consulting business to include very brief online courses about various issues stemming from Mexico's drug war! Three courses are live right now: A History of Mexican Drug Cartels An Overview of... Continue reading

Posted Jan 7, 2014 at Mexico's Drug War

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Official website and book trailer for "Border Insecurity" are up!

I'm very proud to announce that both the official website and trailer for my forthcoming book, Border Insecurity: Why Big Money, Fences, and Drones Aren't Making Us Safer, are up! You can visit the wesbite here: Border Insecurity Feel free... Continue reading

Posted Nov 11, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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BOOK REVIEW: "Midnight in Mexico," by Alfredo Corchado

I bought this book a few months ago when it first came out, but since I've been working furiously on my own manuscript, I haven't had time for any recreational reading until a few days ago. Since it came out,... Continue reading

Posted Sep 2, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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BOOK REVIEW: "The Fight to Save Juárez: Life in the Heart of Mexico's Drug War," by Ricardo Ainslie

I was very lucky to have been asked to do a peer review of this manuscript during the publishing process, as I got to read this admirable work before almost anyone else. I get asked to do a lot of... Continue reading

Posted Aug 26, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Mario 'X-20' Ramirez Treviño, Mexico's Gulf Cartel leader, in custody, law enforcement sources say."

Here are the basics of the arrest from a CBS News report: "A top drug cartel figure wanted by the U.S. government since 2008 was arrested Saturday in Mexico, CBS News reports. Two law enforcement sources told CBS News that... Continue reading

Posted Aug 17, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Other kingpin in DEA killing may be freed."

Here is an excerpt from the Associated Press article in the Arizona Daily Star: "Defense attorneys believe freedom is imminent for a second member of the trio of Mexican drug kingpins responsible for the 1985 slaying of a Drug Enforcement... Continue reading

Posted Aug 11, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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Zetas Leader Miguel "Z-40" Treviño Morales Captured in Nuevo Laredo

Or so we believe. This news is breaking all over as I type, so this post is subject to updating as more information comes in. A report from the San Antonio Express-News has some more detail than the other early... Continue reading

Posted Jul 15, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Ambush Murder and Attempted Murder of ICE Agents in Mexico."

Here's an excerpt from the Department of Justice press release: "Julian Zapata Espinoza, also known as “Piolin,” 32, pleaded guilty today to the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of... Continue reading

Posted May 23, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Immigration reform’s hidden border-crossing charge."

Here is an excerpt from Mark Johanson's article in the International Business Times: "If the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has its way, Congress may soon authorize the study of a fee to be collected at all land crossings with... Continue reading

Posted Apr 24, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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BOOK REVIEW: "The Fence: National Security, Public Safety, and Illegal Immigration along the U.S.-Mexico Border," by Robert Lee Maril

I started reading this book as part of my research for my next book, partly because the content would be useful to cite and partly because it was my biggest competition. I was pleased after finishing it for several reasons:... Continue reading

Posted Feb 10, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Border Violence Spillover: A Growing, but Undefined Problem."

Here is an excerpt from my latest piece for Small Wars Journal: "In October 2010, the first Mexican cartel-related beheading occurred in the United States. Martin Alejandro Cota-Monroy was killed because he had stolen a 400-lb load of marijuana and... Continue reading

Posted Jan 15, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Bomb blast injures three; Police believe Brownsville family was targeted."

Here is an excerpt from Mark Reagan and Laura Martinez's article in the Valley Morning Star: "Investigators say they believe a Brownsville family was intentionally targeted when a bomb exploded inside their home Friday morning and injured three of them.... Continue reading

Posted Jan 12, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Latin America reconsiders pot legalization after ballot wins in US."

Here's some descriptive text about the interview I did for KPCC (the NPR station) in Los Angeles this morning: "Recent marijuana legalization measures in Washington and Colorado have sparked an international dialogue on drug policy, and how to change it.... Continue reading

Posted Jan 9, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Branding: Just Another Mexican TCO Tool"

Here is an excerpt from my latest Borders & Intelligence column for Homeland Security Today magazine: "I’m always on the lookout for great television shows, so I was intrigued when I heard about 'Sons of Anarchy,' a drama about an... Continue reading

Posted Jan 7, 2013 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto Outlines New Drug War Plan."

Here is an excerpt from Jordan Fabian's article on ABC/Univision: "Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said Monday his administration will shift the nation's anti-crime strategy in a break from the U.S.-backed campaign against drug cartels carried out under his predecessor,... Continue reading

Posted Dec 19, 2012 at Mexico's Drug War

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Blog Address Change Notice!

Greetings! I just wanted to let my readers know that this blog can now be accessed at http://www.mexicosdrugwar.com, as I just purchased the domain. You can still get here through the original TypePad address as well. If you like the... Continue reading

Posted Nov 10, 2012 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Why Arresting 'El Chapo' Might Be a Bad Thing."

My apologies for posting this later than I would have liked! Here is an excerpt from my latest piece for Small Wars Journal: "It sounds crazy, but catching the most notorious and wanted drug trafficker in the world might be... Continue reading

Posted Nov 7, 2012 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Silence on Drug War in Races Speaks Volumes."

Here is an excerpt from my opinion piece for FOX News Latino: "The United States shares a nearly 2,000-mile long border with a country that has witnessed over 100,000 drug-related murders in the last six years alone. Mexican drug cartels... Continue reading

Posted Oct 26, 2012 at Mexico's Drug War

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Questions Surrounding Claims by Alejandrina Guzmán Salazar of Being El Chapo's Daughter

On Monday morning (Oct. 15), I got an email from a DHS friend of mine giving me a heads up that Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera's pregnant daughter had been apprehended at the San Ysidro (California) port of entry with... Continue reading

Posted Oct 16, 2012 at Mexico's Drug War

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"Mexican Navy Believes It Killed Ruthless Gang Kingpin."

Here's an excerpt from Randal Archibold's article in the New York Times: "The Mexican Navy said on Monday night that it believed it had killed a man who it thinks may be a founder and the principal leader of the... Continue reading

Posted Oct 9, 2012 at Mexico's Drug War

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