MEXICO. Ciudad Juarez. December 7, 2008.
A desert bar at night. Downtown Juarez.
At friday night, army and police patrol in downtown Juarez and make irruption in bars and night club in order to search for drug, weapons, to check IDs, licences of alchool sellers, and if no minors are in the bars.
In March 2008 governement launch the operation "Chihuahua conjuntos", a cooperation between army, federal police and municipal police in order to confront narco cartels.
Across the border from El Paso, Texas, the city of Juarez is being torn apart by a drug war.
The number of murders in Juarez has jumped from 300 in 2007 to roughly 1,500 this year.
President Felipe Calderon has sent thousands of federal police and soldiers to confront the gangs.