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141-515: The Juárez Cartel was the dominant player in the center of the country, controlling a large percentage of the cocaine traffic from Mexico into the United States. The death of Amado Carrillo Fuentes in 1997 was the beginning of the decline of the Juárez cartel, as Carrillo relied on ties to Mexico's top-ranking drug interdiction officer, division general Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo . The cartel

282-413: A fast heart rate , sweating, and dilated pupils . High doses can result in high blood pressure or high body temperature . Onset of effects can begin within seconds to minutes of use, depending on method of delivery, and can last between five and ninety minutes. As cocaine also has numbing and blood vessel constriction properties, it is occasionally used during surgery on the throat or inside of

423-415: A local anaesthetic or diagnostic tool by medical practitioners in more developed countries. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South America: Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense . After extraction from the plant, and further processing into cocaine hydrochloride (powdered cocaine), the drug is administered by being either snorted , applied topically to

564-540: A withdrawal state with emotional-motivational deficits upon cessation of cocaine use. Crack baby is a term for a child born to a mother who used crack cocaine during her pregnancy. The threat that cocaine use during pregnancy poses to the fetus is now considered exaggerated. Studies show that prenatal cocaine exposure (independent of other effects such as, for example, alcohol, tobacco, or physical environment) has no appreciable effect on childhood growth and development. In 2007, he National Institute on Drug Abuse of

705-571: A bounty. None of the threats were materialized, however. On June 26, 2018, Barrio Azteca Capo Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was arrested. Ravelo, who was also on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, is believed to have been in charge of the gang's operations in Juárez. Several other members of the Barrio Azteca were arrested with Ravelo as well. On November 7, 2018, Rene Gerardo Santana Garza, known as "El 300,"

846-426: A bridge between the use of different groups of drugs. It is legal for people to use coca leaves in some Andean nations, such as Peru and Bolivia, where they are chewed, consumed in the form of tea, or are sometimes incorporated into food products. Coca leaves are typically mixed with an alkaline substance (such as lime ) and chewed into a wad that is retained in the buccal pouch (mouth between gum and cheek, much

987-586: A class of functionality different from both its own derived phenyltropanes analogues which have that removed. In addition to this, cocaine has some target binding to the site of the κ-opioid receptor . Cocaine also causes vasoconstriction , thus reducing bleeding during minor surgical procedures. Recent research points to an important role of circadian mechanisms and clock genes in behavioral actions of cocaine. Barrio Azteca Barrio Azteca ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbarjo asˈteka] ), or Los Aztecas ( pronounced [los asˈtekas] ),

1128-404: A daily basis. The gang also tortures and murders its victims in front of a large and cheering gang audience. According to the testimony of an alleged Barrio Azteca member, gang members torture and kill their victims by digging up holes in the ground, throwing a bunch of mesquite, and then pouring in some gasoline. The gang members then beat up their victims and throw them in the hole. Then they light

1269-404: A door and allowing several triggermen to shoot inside a room where the inmates were killed. The violence continued elsewhere throughout the prison until around 2 a.m. the next day. Although there was no audio in the video, the footage shows how two gunmen order the guards to leave. Despite being armed, they seem to follow the orders of the gang members without any resistance. Following their exit,

1410-517: A flat, hard surface (such as a mobile phone screen, mirror, CD case or book) and divided into "bumps", "lines" or "rails", and then insufflated. A 2001 study reported that the sharing of straws used to "snort" cocaine can spread blood diseases such as hepatitis C . Subjective effects not commonly shared with other methods of administration include a ringing in the ears moments after injection (usually when over 120 milligrams) lasting 2 to 5 minutes including tinnitus and audio distortion. This

1551-468: A former member of Barrio Azteca who later became the reputed founder of La Empresa (‘The Company’), for his connection to the consulate murders as well. Mendez, who was the El Paso FBI office's most wanted fugitive and the last person sought for the attacks, also made La Empresa a hybrid of Barrio Azteca. With his arrest, all 35 suspects named by the U.S. Justice Department in 2011 for involvement in

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1692-411: A greater likelihood of relapse when the drug is withheld. ΔFosB increases the expression of AMPA receptor subunit GluR2 and also decreases expression of dynorphin , thereby enhancing sensitivity to reward. DNA damage is increased in the brain of rodents by administration of cocaine. During DNA repair of such damages, persistent chromatin alterations may occur such as methylation of DNA or

1833-480: A hypothesis that cocaine may also function as a so-called "DAT inverse agonist" or "negative allosteric modifier of DAT" resulting in dopamine transporter reversal , and subsequent dopamine release into the synaptic cleft from the axon terminal in a manner similar to but distinct from amphetamines . Sigma receptors are affected by cocaine, as cocaine functions as a sigma ligand agonist. Further specific receptors it has been demonstrated to function on are NMDA and

1974-431: A joint or blunt . Acute exposure to cocaine has many effects on humans, including euphoria, increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and increases in cortisol secretion from the adrenal gland. In humans with acute exposure followed by continuous exposure to cocaine at a constant blood concentration, the acute tolerance to the chronotropic cardiac effects of cocaine begins after about 10 minutes, while acute tolerance to

2115-477: A long period of time who do not hydrate sufficiently may experience demineralization of their teeth due to the pH of the tooth surface dropping too low (below 5.5). Cocaine use also promotes the formation of blood clots . This increase in blood clot formation is attributed to cocaine-associated increases in the activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor , and an increase in the number, activation, and aggregation of platelets . Chronic intranasal usage can degrade

2256-473: A marked elevation of blood pressure, which can be life-threatening, abnormal heart rhythms , and death. Anxiety, paranoia , and restlessness can also occur, especially during the comedown. With excessive dosage, tremors, convulsions and increased body temperature are observed. Severe cardiac adverse events, particularly sudden cardiac death , become a serious risk at high doses due to cocaine's blocking effect on cardiac sodium channels. Incidental exposure of

2397-522: A membership of 2,000 strong in Ciudad Juárez alone that year. There are around 500 small gangs working for the Barrio Azteca and looking to earn a position by "joining the big shots." Gang members in the organizations refer to each other as "carnal," a slang term for brother. Outside of prison, members would contact imprisoned leaders to verify a status of a person using the name of Barrio Azteca to operate and see if they were in good standing with

2538-484: A murderous attack against members of Los Mexicles inside the same prison, leaving six dead. At around 9:00 p.m. on 26 July 2011, the Barrio Azteca carried out an attack on Los Mexicles , a street gang of the Sinaloa cartel, which left 17 dead and 20 injured inside a prison in Ciudad Juárez. Some of the violence was captured by a surveillance video that shows two gunmen clearing a hallway of guards before unlocking

2679-471: A pharmaceutical company in which Rojas is an investor. Rojas later arranged to produce black-market versions of pharmaceutical drugs, turning in more profit. After Juarez objected to the production, Rojas later had him killed in a skiing "accident" which allowed him to take over the company and turn it into a full-fledged drug cartel that made him one of the richest men in the world. In the FX series The Bridge ,

2820-489: A pipe made from a small glass tube, often taken from " love roses ", small glass tubes with a paper rose that are promoted as romantic gifts. These are sometimes called "stems", "horns", "blasters" and "straight shooters". A small piece of clean heavy copper or occasionally stainless steel scouring pad – often called a "brillo" (actual Brillo Pads contain soap, and are not used) or "chore" (named for Chore Boy brand copper scouring pads) – serves as

2961-473: A prison on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez on 5 March 2009. The violence resulted in the deaths of 20 inmates. It took the guards, police, and Mexican military more than three hours to put down the unrest inside the prison. From a distance, family members awaited news as black smoke drifted from the prison and helicopters patrolled overhead. At one point, inmates could be seen lighting mattresses and bodies being thrown from second-story windows. The brawl, which

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3102-438: A reduction base and flow modulator in which the "rock" can be melted and boiled to vapor. Crack is smoked by placing it at the end of the pipe; a flame held close to it produces vapor, which is then inhaled by the smoker. The effects felt almost immediately after smoking, are very intense and do not last long — usually 2 to 10 minutes. When smoked, cocaine is sometimes combined with other drugs, such as cannabis , often rolled into

3243-403: A sophisticated communication network where they utilize coded letters, contraband cell phones that are smuggled into prison cells, and distribution of membership roster and hit-lists. To prevent officers from understanding their communication network, Barrio Azteca also created a secret language based on Nahuatl . The locus of power of Barrio Azteca is based inside prisons, prompting worries that

3384-437: A stroke, irreversible brain damage, or a heart attack. Persons with regular or problematic use of cocaine have a significantly higher rate of death, and are specifically at higher risk of traumatic deaths and deaths attributable to infectious disease. The extent of absorption of cocaine into the systemic circulation after nasal insufflation is similar to that after oral ingestion. The rate of absorption after nasal insufflation

3525-673: A turf war between the two cartels, which was more or less put on hold from 2005 to 2006 because of the Sinaloa Cartel's war against the Gulf Cartel . After the organization collapsed, some elements of it were incorporated into the Sinaloa Cartel, which absorbed much of the Juárez Cartel's former territory. The Juárez Cartel has been able to either corrupt or intimidate high-ranking officials in order to obtain information on law enforcement operatives and acquire protection from

3666-585: Is a Mexican-American street and prison gang originally based in El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico . The gang was formed in the Coffield Unit , located near Tennessee Colony, Texas by Jose "Raulio" Rivera, a prisoner from El Paso , in the early 1980s. It expanded into a transnational criminal organization that traded mainly across the US-Mexico border. Currently one of

3807-418: Is a central nervous system stimulant. Its effects can last from 15 minutes to an hour. The duration of cocaine's effects depends on the amount taken and the route of administration. Cocaine can be in the form of fine white powder and has a bitter taste. Crack cocaine is a smokeable form of cocaine made into small "rocks" by processing cocaine with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water. Crack cocaine

3948-649: Is alleged that the major cartels have aligned into two loosely allied factions, one integrated by the Juárez Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel , Los Zetas , and the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel ; the other faction integrated by the Gulf Cartel , the Sinaloa Cartel and the now disbanded La Familia Cartel . In 2019, it was revealed that notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman put a bounty on Juarez Cartel leader Juan Pablo Ledezma for ending

4089-412: Is also systemic, relating to disputes between crack dealers and users. Acute exposure may induce cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation , supraventricular tachycardia , ventricular tachycardia , and ventricular fibrillation . Acute exposure may also lead to angina , heart attack , and congestive heart failure . Cocaine overdose may cause seizures , abnormally high body temperature and

4230-400: Is colloquially referred to as a "bell ringer". In a study of cocaine users, the average time taken to reach peak subjective effects was 3.1 minutes. The euphoria passes quickly. Aside from the toxic effects of cocaine, there is also the danger of circulatory emboli from the insoluble substances that may be used to cut the drug. As with all injected illicit substances , there is a risk of

4371-470: Is limited by cocaine-induced vasoconstriction of capillaries in the nasal mucosa. Onset of absorption after oral ingestion is delayed because cocaine is a weak base with a pKa of 8.6, and is thus in an ionized form that is poorly absorbed from the acidic stomach and easily absorbed from the alkaline duodenum. The rate and extent of absorption from inhalation of cocaine is similar or greater than with intravenous injection, as inhalation provides access directly to

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4512-425: Is not what is involved in the habituation of the substance so much as the conformation and binding properties to where and how on the transporter the molecule binds. Conflicting findings have challenged the widely accepted view that cocaine functions solely as a reuptake inhibitor. To induce euphoria an intravenous dose of 0.3-0.6 mg/kg of cocaine is required, which blocks 66-70% of dopamine transporters (DAT) in

4653-417: Is possible in regular users until after the sections of hair grown during the period of cocaine use are cut or fall out. The pharmacodynamics of cocaine involve the complex relationships of neurotransmitters (inhibiting monoamine uptake in rats with ratios of about: serotonin :dopamine = 2:3, serotonin: norepinephrine = 2:5). The most extensively studied effect of cocaine on the central nervous system

4794-521: Is referred to as "crack" because of the crackling sounds it makes when heated. Cocaine use leads to increases in alertness, feelings of well-being and euphoria , increased energy and motor activity, and increased feelings of competence and sexuality. Analysis of the correlation between the use of 18 various psychoactive substances shows that cocaine use correlates with other " party drugs " (such as ecstasy or amphetamines ), as well as with heroin and benzodiazepines use, and can be considered as

4935-434: Is that the smoking of cocaine chemically breaks down tooth enamel and causes tooth decay . Cocaine can cause involuntary tooth grinding, known as bruxism , which can deteriorate tooth enamel and lead to gingivitis . Additionally, stimulants like cocaine, methamphetamine, and even caffeine cause dehydration and dry mouth . Since saliva is an important mechanism in maintaining one's oral pH level, people who use cocaine over

5076-404: Is the blockade of the dopamine transporter protein. Dopamine neurotransmitter released during neural signaling is normally recycled via the transporter; i.e., the transporter binds the transmitter and pumps it out of the synaptic cleft back into the presynaptic neuron , where it is taken up into storage vesicles . Cocaine binds tightly at the dopamine transporter forming a complex that blocks

5217-406: The 5-HT 3 receptor , which is a ligand-gated ion channel . An overabundance of 5-HT 3 receptors is reported in cocaine-conditioned rats, though 5-HT 3 's role is unclear. The 5-HT 2 receptor (particularly the subtypes 5-HT 2A , 5-HT 2B and 5-HT 2C ) are involved in the locomotor-activating effects of cocaine. Cocaine has been demonstrated to bind as to directly stabilize

5358-662: The Barrio Azteca street gang operates in Mexico and in Texan cities such as El Paso, Dallas, and Houston, as well as in New Mexico and Arizona . On July 15, 2010, the Juárez Cartel escalated violence to a new level by using a car bomb to target federal police officers. In September 2011 banners were displayed, publicizing the return of the extinct cartel. They were signed by Cesar "El Gato" Carrillo Leyva, who appears to be

5499-634: The Beltrán Leyva brothers in Monterrey, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. When Vicente took control of the cartel, the organization was in flux. The death of Amado created a large power vacuum in the Mexican underworld. The Carrillo Fuentes brothers became the most powerful organization during the 1990s while Vicente was able to avoid direct conflict and increase

5640-448: The DAT transporter on the open outward-facing conformation. Further, cocaine binds in such a way as to inhibit a hydrogen bond innate to DAT. Cocaine's binding properties are such that it attaches so this hydrogen bond will not form and is blocked from formation due to the tightly locked orientation of the cocaine molecule. Research studies have suggested that the affinity for the transporter

5781-553: The Mexican military and the Federal police did not arrive until after the killers had left. When the Mexican authorities arrived, a large crowd gathered at the crime scene as the neighbors and family members of the victims, whose ages ranged from 15 to 20, cried and set down candles. They pleaded for their names not to be released for the fear of the hit men returning and taking revenge. The relatives and witnesses interviewed after

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5922-594: The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs has required countries to make recreational use of cocaine a crime . In the United States, cocaine is regulated as a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act , meaning that it has a high potential for abuse but has an accepted medical use. While rarely used medically today, its accepted uses are as a topical local anesthetic for the upper respiratory tract as well as to reduce bleeding in

6063-534: The cartilage separating the nostrils (the septum nasi ), leading eventually to its complete disappearance. Due to the absorption of the cocaine from cocaine hydrochloride, the remaining hydrochloride forms a dilute hydrochloric acid. Illicitly-sold cocaine may be contaminated with levamisole. Levamisole may accentuate cocaine's effects. Levamisole-adulterated cocaine has been associated with autoimmune disease. Cocaine use leads to an increased risk of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes . Cocaine use also increases

6204-604: The liver to form cocaethylene . Studies have suggested cocaethylene is more euphoric , and has a higher cardiovascular toxicity than cocaine by itself. Depending on liver and kidney functions, cocaine metabolites are detectable in urine between three and eight days. Generally speaking benzoylecgonine is eliminated from someone's urine between three and five days. In urine from heavy cocaine users, benzoylecgonine can be detected within four hours after intake and in concentrations greater than 150 ng/mL for up to eight days later. Detection of cocaine metabolites in hair

6345-437: The mouth , or dissolved and injected into a vein . It can also then be turned into free base form (typically crack cocaine ), in which it can be heated until sublimated and then the vapours can be inhaled . Cocaine stimulates the mesolimbic pathway in the brain. Mental effects may include an intense feeling of happiness , sexual arousal , loss of contact with reality , or agitation . Physical effects may include

6486-552: The mouth against the inner cheek ; it has traditionally been used to combat the effects of cold, hunger, and altitude sickness . Cocaine was first isolated from the leaves in 1860. Globally, in 2019, cocaine was used by an estimated 20 million people (0.4% of adults aged 15 to 64 years). The highest prevalence of cocaine use was in Australia and New Zealand (2.1%), followed by North America (2.1%), Western and Central Europe (1.4%), and South and Central America (1.0%). Since 1961,

6627-637: The Andes to prevent altitude sickness . Its actual effectiveness has never been systematically studied. In 1986 an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that U.S. health food stores were selling dried coca leaves to be prepared as an infusion as "Health Inca Tea". While the packaging claimed it had been "decocainized", no such process had actually taken place. The article stated that drinking two cups of

6768-491: The Ciudad Juárez drug trafficking market as well. The gang has a militaristic structure, and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and foot soldiers used with the sole purpose of maintaining territorial control and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, homicide, money laundering, extortion, and intimidation. In and outside of prison, from gang beatings to drive-by shootings, Barrio Azteca disciplines its own members and rivals. The "life-blood" of

6909-443: The D 1 dopamine receptor. Cocaine also blocks sodium channels , thereby interfering with the propagation of action potentials ; thus, like lignocaine and novocaine , it acts as a local anesthetic. It also functions on the binding sites to the dopamine and serotonin sodium dependent transport area as targets as separate mechanisms from its reuptake of those transporters; unique to its local anesthetic value which makes it in

7050-558: The Global Burden of Disease study found that cocaine use caused around 7,300 deaths annually. Coca leaves have been used by Andean civilizations since ancient times . In ancient Wari culture , Inca culture, and through modern successor indigenous cultures of the Andes mountains , coca leaves are chewed, taken orally in the form of a tea , or alternatively, prepared in a sachet wrapped around alkaline burnt ashes, and held in

7191-579: The Juarez Cartel's alliance with his Sinaloa Cartel. By 2018, the Juárez Cartel's power declined in its home region of Ciudad Juárez In June 2020, it was reported that La Línea was the Juárez Cartel's most powerful faction in Ciudad Juárez. However, Los Salazar, a powerful cell of the Sinaloa Cartel, had by this point managed to build a significant presence in Ciudad Juárez as well. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel also made its presence in Ciudad Juárez with its New Juarez Cartel, though it failed to deter

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7332-523: The Juárez Cartel and its former leaders have also been portrayed in the drama web series Narcos: Mexico (2018–2021). The Australian ABC documentary La Frontera (2010) described the social impact of the cartel in the region. A fictional Juarez Cartel appears in Tom Clancy 's novel Against All Enemies (2011). It is secretly led by Mexican billionaire Jorge Rojas, who derived the name from its original founder Enrique Juarez. Juarez had established

7473-403: The Juárez Cartel are the main antagonists of the series. In this series, the Juárez Cartel is led by Fausto Galvan (played by Ramón Franco ), a powerful, violent and brutal Mexican drug kingpin , who does not arouse suspicion, has a store called El Rey Storage. In The Bridge , the main sicario of the Juárez Cartel is Hector Valdez (played by Arturo Del Puerto ), known for his brutality against

7614-462: The Juárez Cartel has been locked in a vicious battle with its former partner, the Sinaloa Cartel, for control of Juárez. The fighting between them has left thousands dead in Chihuahua. The Juárez Cartel relies on two enforcement gangs to exercise control over both sides of the border: La Linea , a group of corrupt (current and former) Chihuahua police officers, is prevalent on the Mexican side, while

7755-472: The U.S. state of Texas, Durango and Sinaloa . However, this alliance was broken after the Sinaloa Cartel drug lord, Guzmán, refused to pay the Juarez Cartel for the right to use some smuggling routes into the U.S. In 2001, after Guzmán escaped from prison, many Juárez Cartel members defected to Guzmán's Sinaloa Cartel. In 2004, Vicente's brother was killed, allegedly by order of Guzmán. Vicente retaliated by assassinating Guzmán's brother in prison. This ignited

7896-648: The United States in December 2017, and is indicated for the introduction of local anesthesia of the mucous membranes for diagnostic procedures and surgeries on or through the nasal cavities of adults. Cocaine hydrochloride ( Numbrino ) was approved for medical use in the United States in January 2020. The most common adverse reactions in people treated with Goprelto are headache and epistaxis . The most common adverse reactions in people treated with Numbrino are hypertension, tachycardia, and sinus tachycardia. Cocaine

8037-419: The United States warned about health risks while cautioning against stereotyping: Many recall that "crack babies", or babies born to mothers who used crack cocaine while pregnant, were at one time written off by many as a lost generation. They were predicted to suffer from severe, irreversible damage, including reduced intelligence and social skills. It was later found that this was a gross exaggeration. However,

8178-574: The United States. He allegedly pays his sicarios (hitmen) less than 500 pesos (or about $ 40 U.S. dollars) a week to carry out assassinations. When drug loads go missing while being smuggled, suspects are kidnapped and taken to Ciudad Juárez. Some are shot dead, while others are tortured and then shot. Some, however, are beheaded. Not all the killings carried about by Ravelo's gang are a result of drug disputes. Some murders are carried out to intimidate and as retaliation attacks. A fierce battle between rival drug trafficking organizations broke loose inside

8319-422: The United States. They are also responsible for the distribution and sale of narcotics both in and outside prisons. Besides drug trafficking, they have been charged with a medley of different crimes. The gang, which operates in the U.S. and Mexico, has morphed into a prime example of the "cross-border nature of Mexico's drug war ." Members may either be US or Mexican citizens. Most of the violence associated with

8460-455: The acetylation or methylation of histones at the sites of repair. These alterations can be epigenetic scars in the chromatin that contribute to the persistent epigenetic changes found in cocaine addiction . In humans, cocaine abuse may cause structural changes in brain connectivity, though it is unclear to what extent these changes are permanent. Cocaine dependence develops after even brief periods of regular cocaine use and produces

8601-472: The arrest of a suspect in connection with the killings, the gang member said that Barrio Azteca was pursuing a guard from the El Paso County Jail and not the U.S. officials, but this information has not been confirmed. Reportedly, the gang leaders wanted the guard dead for mistreating members of the gang in jail. The speculation of this hypothesis was bolstered by the fact that the second victim

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8742-523: The attackers were teenagers who had secured the area by blocking traffic. The Mexican police declined to comment if the killing was drug-related, but Felipe Calderón 's response was remarkably different from the Villas de Salvárcar massacre, where he claimed that the massacre was most likely due to internal adjustments between the cartels. The killing in Horizontes del Sur bore striking similarities with

8883-510: The authorities that the Juárez Cartel had received reports from within the organization that members of a rival drug trafficking organization were at the party the night the teenagers were killed. The suspect said he acted as a lookout for the 24 gunmen that perpetrated the killing and had orders to "kill everyone inside." By mid-2011, four men linked to the massacre were found guilty of the killings and were sentenced to 240 years each by

9024-674: The baby to grow poorly. As a result, cocaine-exposed babies are more likely than unexposed babies to be born with low birth weight (less than 5.5 lb or 2.5 kg). Low-birthweight babies are 20 times more likely to die in their first month of life than normal-weight babies, and face an increased risk of lifelong disabilities such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Cocaine-exposed babies also tend to have smaller heads, which generally reflect smaller brains. Some studies suggest that cocaine-exposed babies are at increased risk of birth defects, including urinary tract defects and, possibly, heart defects. Cocaine also may cause an unborn baby to have

9165-402: The border. On April 5, 2012, the authorities concluded that the Barrio Azteca murdered the three U.S. consulate members as part of an agreement with José Antonio Acosta Hernández ( El Diego ), a former top lieutenant of the Juárez cartel who was imprisoned after being convicted and receiving a life sentence. On March 9, 2020, Mexican police arrested Luis “El Tio” (‘The Uncle’) Gerrado Mendez,

9306-474: The border. Furthermore, if the cartel needed to intimidate or carry out an assassination in the United States, they would simply call on the Barrio Azteca. When the Sinaloa Cartel made its first incursion into Ciudad Juárez in 2008, Barrio Azteca was called to defend the plaza. They are alleged by the Mexican authorities to have committed numerous brutal assassinations in the city, although the exact numbers are unknown. In addition, Barrio Azteca controls most of

9447-449: The brain. Re-administering cocaine beyond this threshold does not significantly increase DAT occupancy but still results in an increase of euphoria which cannot be explained by reuptake inhibition alone. This discrepancy is not shared with other dopamine reuptake inhbitors like bupropion , sibutramine , mazindol or tesofensine , which have similar or higher potencies than cocaine as dopamine reuptake inhibitors. These findings have evoked

9588-625: The breakdown of the blood–brain barrier. Physical side effects from chronic smoking of cocaine include coughing up blood , bronchospasm , itching , fever , diffuse alveolar infiltrates without effusions, pulmonary and systemic eosinophilia , chest pain, lung trauma, sore throat, asthma , hoarse voice, dyspnea (shortness of breath), and an aching, flu -like syndrome. Cocaine constricts blood vessels , dilates pupils , and increases body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. It can also cause headaches and gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. A common but untrue belief

9729-408: The cartel members arrived at the crime scene in seven cars with tinted windows, closed down the street and blocked the exits. Then they stormed the party and opened fire at the victims as they were watching a soccer game. Some of the teenagers were shot as they tried to flee and their corpses were found in the neighboring houses. As neighbors hid in their houses, some dialed the emergency services but

9870-457: The city or return across the international bridge to El Paso. Ciudad Juárez is filled with safe houses, armories and garages with stolen cars for the cartel members and assassins to use. They work day in and day out, often with a list of people to kill. Barrio Azteca has also authorized the killings of U.S. law enforcement officials for cracking down their criminal operations, offering up to $ 200,000 U.S. dollars. Drug-sniffing dogs were also under

10011-473: The consulate killings had been captured. During a boy's birthday party at the Horizontes del Sur neighborhood in Ciudad Juárez , Chihuahua , several gunmen broke into a house and killed 14 people and wounded more than a twenty on 23 October 2010. After firing more than 70 bullets, the attackers fled the scene in three different cars at around 11:00 p.m. According to the witnesses' descriptions,

10152-463: The drug sales for the Juárez Cartel in Ciudad Juárez's streets and prisons, although other gangs and independent operators abound. Barrio Azteca is also reported to have kidnapped people in El Paso and drive them south into Ciudad Juárez to kill them. A murder in Texas drives a huge investigation which often leads to an arrest. But in Ciudad Juárez, it is one of the more than ten corpses found dead on

10293-424: The drug smuggling routes in the area. Control of the routes in Ciudad Juárez , known as the "Juárez plaza," is vital for drug trafficking organizations, since they are a major illicit conduit into the United States. The DEA estimates that about 70% of the cocaine to enter the United States does so through the area. The gang's primary source of income derives from smuggling drugs across the border from Mexico to

10434-590: The efforts of the Mexican government and said that they were planning to abandon Mexico and seek safe haven in Texas to protect their children. "I never even gave the United States much thought," said one of the family members, "But Mexico has abandoned us, betrayed us." 2010 was the most violent year in the history of Ciudad Juárez , where more than 3,000 people were killed. Massacres, shootings, beheadings, torture videos on YouTube, and even car bombs were recorded in Ciudad Juárez that year. Numerous media outlets around

10575-764: The euphoric effects of cocaine begins after about one hour. With excessive or prolonged use, the drug can cause itching , fast heart rate , and paranoid delusions or sensations of insects crawling on the skin . Intranasal cocaine and crack use are both associated with pharmacological violence. Aggressive behavior may be displayed by both addicts and casual users. Cocaine can induce psychosis characterized by paranoia, impaired reality testing , hallucinations , irritability, and physical aggression. Cocaine intoxication can cause hyperawareness, hypervigilance , and psychomotor agitation and delirium . Consumption of large doses of cocaine can cause violent outbursts, especially by those with preexisting psychosis. Crack-related violence

10716-552: The execution of two American consulate workers and a Mexican with ties to the agency in Ciudad Juárez on 13 March 2010. Gallegos targeted the American officials because he believed they had given visas to members of a rival gang, although some say it was a case of mistaken identity. According to Reuters , the killings was an ongoing effort by Barrio Azteca to take control of the El Paso–Juárez drug trafficking corridor. After

10857-512: The eye to sublimated cocaine while smoking crack cocaine can cause serious injury to the cornea and long-term loss of visual acuity. Although it has been commonly asserted, the available evidence does not show that chronic use of cocaine is associated with broad cognitive deficits. Research is inconclusive on age-related loss of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) sites, suggesting cocaine has neuroprotective or neurodegenerative properties for dopamine neurons. Exposure to cocaine may lead to

10998-504: The fact that most of these children appear normal should not be over-interpreted as indicating that there is no cause for concern. Using sophisticated technologies, scientists are now finding that exposure to cocaine during fetal development may lead to subtle, yet significant, later deficits in some children, including deficits in some aspects of cognitive performance, information-processing, and attention to tasks—abilities that are important for success in school. There are also warnings about

11139-500: The families of the U.S. consulate workers to live across the border in Texas even before they were killed. The weapons used in the attack and the style the U.S. officials were killed pointed to drug traffickers as suspects; evidence provided from American intelligence and Mexican authorities then pointed to Barrio Azteca as the perpetrators. A day after the killings, the United States Department of State authorized

11280-435: The federal program to discuss and analyze the city's achievements. He also unveiled a billboard facing traffic in El Paso, Texas heading into Mexico that reads "No More Weapons," and criticized the United States for not renewing a ban on the sales of assault weapons that expired in 2004. Four days after the massacre, a suspect identified as José Dolores Arroyo Chavarría was arrested by the Mexican military. He confessed to

11421-442: The gang has expanded into a large criminal gang with presence in both the United States and Mexico, besetting by drug trafficking and human smuggling. In Ciudad Juárez , however, the gang is known as Los Aztecas. Under the tutelage of Ravelo, the gang moves narcotics along the border with the aid of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes ' cartel. According to reports of U.S. authorities, Ravelo was born in Mexico but has permanent residence in

11562-621: The gang is the drug sale, which they buy at a low cost due to their alliance with the Juárez cartel and profits from its own importation to the U.S. They also tax ("cuota") independent drug dealers in El Paso, in other parts of West Texas , and in the Eastern part of New Mexico . Once the money is collected, the Barrio Azteca members deposit it into the bank accounts of imprisoned leaders of their own organization, often using fake names and female associates by wire transfer. The gang also utilized

11703-431: The gang occurs in Mexico. By June 2020, the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Salazar cell, and not Barrio Azteca, was the only other organized crime group which was considered on par with La Linea for control of the Ciudad Juárez drug trafficking market. The Barrio Azteca gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and gained an image of being a tough and loyal gang willing to commit murder of civilians in order to keep fear in

11844-447: The gang's ranks and carry out a number of crimes. The Barrio Azteca has long sold drugs moved by the Juárez Cartel . As Barrio Azteca grew in power, it began to work directly with the Juarez Cartel and their alliance grew stronger. The gang began to directly buy large sums of cocaine from the cartel at cheaper rates, and in return the gang would buy weapons in so called straw purchases from Texan gun shops and then smuggle them across

11985-413: The guards to open them, and went about killing the rival inmates. Some of the victims were stabbed with knives, while others were beaten to death; some were killed with home-made guns. The Mexican authorities were able to militarize the area with more than 200 federal police officers, 50 soldiers, two helicopters, a plane, and an unknown number of state and municipal police forces. The exact reasons for

12126-487: The hold which La Linea and Los Salazar had over the Ciudad Juárez drug trafficking market as well. A fictional Juárez Cartel was featured battling a fictional Tijuana Cartel headed by a character named Obregon in the 2000 film Traffic . A fictionalized version of the Juárez Cartel plays a major role in the AMC television series Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and its prequel Better Call Saul (2015–2022). The origins of

12267-479: The husband of another consulate worker and wounded his two young children. The shootings took place in different locations, and it was the "first deadly attack" against U.S. officials and their families from the Mexican criminal organizations. The attack came during a violent weekend across Mexico, where nearly 50 people were killed across the country. The killings angered the White House , who had quietly allowed

12408-543: The inmates, proving that the prison was plagued by "weak controls, disorganisation and possible corruption." Their reports state that the inmates had broken the rules of the jail and held large parties, possibly with the guards' permission. Moreover, the prison was highly overcrowded, with over 2,700 inmates in a facility with a capacity of only 850 prisoners. Gunmen burst into a party in a small working-class neighborhood known as Villas de Salvárcar in Ciudad Juárez , killing 16 teenagers on 31 January 2010. Witnesses said that

12549-404: The keys of a prison guard and were able to free their cohorts and begin a rampage in cells controlled by their rival groups. In a relatively low-security area inside the prison, the gang members began to produce knives and force other guards to liberate 150 fellow members. Once they took the guards hostage, Barrio Azteca members went into high-security blocks where the rival members were in, forced

12690-407: The killings; or "independent gunmen" paid to kill a person nicknamed El Ratón , an alleged member of Artistas Asesinos . In June 2020, it was reported that La Línea was the Juárez Cartel's most powerful faction in Ciudad Juárez. Los Salazar, a powerful cell of the Sinaloa Cartel, had by this point also managed to build a significant presence in Ciudad Juárez and was seen as on par with La Línea in

12831-666: The leader of Juarez. Amado brought his brothers into the business. After Amado died in 1997 following complications from plastic surgery, a brief turf war erupted over the control of the cartel, with Amado's brother, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes , becoming leader after defeating the Muñoz Talavera brothers. Vicente Carrillo Fuentes then formed a partnership with Juan José Esparragoza Moreno , his brother Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes, his nephew Vicente Carrillo Leyva, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, and formed an alliance with other drug lords such as Ismael "Mayo" Zambada in Sinaloa and Baja California,

12972-411: The leader of this Barrio Azteca fraction, Mendoza was also target No. 6 on a list of border crime suspects sought by U.S. and Mexican authorities. On May 21, 2020, high ranking Barrio Azteca leader Jose Dolores Villegas Soto, who is known by his moniker "El Iraqui," and aliases "El Iraki" and "El Lolo," was arrested with 10 other suspected Barrio Azteca members. Soto was also revealed to be the leader of

13113-452: The massacre and explicitly saying that "until those responsible are found, [he was] the murderer." The federal government of Mexico responded to the massacre by implementing the "Todos Somos Juárez" program, which aimed to improve education and social development, create jobs, and improve the health benefits in Ciudad Juárez. It has fed up $ 400 million to repair the city's social fabric. Calderón has met with young people and representatives of

13254-421: The massacre are unknown, but the feud between Barrio Azteca and Artistas Asesinos runs deep, and they often fight for the control of drugs, guns, and other illicit contrabands inside prisons. This massacre had come after a rare experience of 24 hours without any drug-related assassinations in Ciudad Juárez and after a large military buildup during that weekend. Back in 2005, the Barrio Azteca gang had carried out

13395-429: The massacre in the Villas de Salvárcar neighborhood earlier that same year, which took place just a mile away and where 15 were gunned down at a party too. This attack came just a week before several gunmen stormed two houses, killing 7 at a party and 2 at a nearby house. The Mexican authorities concluded that there were two possible explanations for the massacre: Either La Línea and Barrio Azteca were responsible for

13536-405: The massacre insisted that the teenagers had nothing to do with the drug trade and were "good kids." What was troubling for the authorities was that the victims were not gathered inside a bar or at a rehab center, but rather at a private home. They gave no official statement for the motives behind the killing, but the massacre bore all the signs of the drug violence that Ciudad Juárez was living for

13677-454: The massacre was a random act of violence by Mexico's drug gangs because the victims had no apparent ties with organize crime. But Calderón was widely criticized for his initial comments after the massacre, where he claimed that the investigations had showed that those killed were almost certainly targeted for being involved in organized crime. The parents of the victims hung huge placards outside their houses accusing Calderón of failing to solve

13818-404: The massacre, was confiscated. Initial reports had stated that the massacre had started as a clash between prison gangs, but the surveillance video shows "cold-blood executions," and that the members of the Barrio Azteca gang carried out the shootout without any provocation from their enemies. According to The Guardian , the video suggests that the guards may have allowed the assassins to kill

13959-436: The mechanisms of cocaine addiction. The onset of cocaine's euphoric effects is fastest with inhalation, beginning after 3–5 seconds. This gives the briefest euphoria (5–15 minutes). Cocaine is smoked by inhaling the vapor produced when crack cocaine is heated to the point of sublimation. In a 2000 Brookhaven National Laboratory medical department study, based on self-reports of 32 people who used cocaine who participated in

14100-624: The minds of its members and ensure their loyalty/obedience. Some believe that the growth of Barrio Azteca in Mexico is due to the area's distinctive cross-border nature. The area of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez is in many ways one community, with families, friends, businesses – and even gangs – joined in the same urban sprawl. Some undocumented Mexicans arrested in the United States are imprisoned in Texan prisons and consequently join Barrio Azteca. When they are absolved from their sentences, they are sent to their country of origin, where they quickly join

14241-484: The most violent gangs in the United States, they are said to have over 3,000 members across the country in locations such as New Mexico, Texas, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania as well as at least 5,000 members in Ciudad Juarez , Mexico. In 2008, Barrio Azteca formed an alliance with La Línea , the armed wing of the Juárez Cartel , to fight off the forces of the Sinaloa Cartel , who were attempting to take over

14382-399: The mouth, throat and nasal cavities. Cocaine eye drops are frequently used by neurologists when examining patients suspected of having Horner syndrome . In Horner syndrome, sympathetic innervation to the eye is blocked. In a healthy eye, cocaine will stimulate the sympathetic nerves by inhibiting norepinephrine reuptake, and the pupil will dilate; if the patient has Horner syndrome,

14523-404: The nose to control pain, bleeding, and vocal cord spasm . Cocaine crosses the blood–brain barrier via a proton-coupled organic cation antiporter and (to a lesser extent) via passive diffusion across cell membranes . Cocaine blocks the dopamine transporter , inhibiting reuptake of dopamine from the synaptic cleft into the pre-synaptic axon terminal ; the higher dopamine levels in

14664-414: The nose by about five minutes. This occurs because cocaine's absorption is slowed by its constricting effect on the blood vessels of the nose. Insufflation of cocaine also leads to the longest duration of its effects (60–90 minutes). When insufflating cocaine, absorption through the nasal membranes is approximately 30–60% In a study of cocaine users, the average time taken to reach peak subjective effects

14805-492: The number of dendritic branches and spines present on neurons involved with the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex areas of the brain. This change can be identified rather quickly, and may be sustained weeks after the last dose of the drug. Transgenic mice exhibiting inducible expression of ΔFosB primarily in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum exhibit sensitized behavioural responses to cocaine. They self-administer cocaine at lower doses than control, but have

14946-470: The operational capacity of the gang is not hindered when its leaders are imprisoned. Members of Barrio Azteca tend to have both Mexican and U.S. citizenship, and authorities believe they carry out crimes in Ciudad Juárez and then return legally to the United States. In March 2010, the FBI and the police department in El Paso stated that Barrio Azteca was more powerful than Los Zetas in the Juárez plaza. They had

15087-434: The organization. Those who were not in good standing were executed. Officials on both sides of the border have observed how Barrio Azteca locate their targets, stalk them and finally ambush them in multiple car chases, using coded radio communications, coordinated blocking maneuvers, and with well-trained shooters wearing ski masks and body armor. After fulfilling their mission, the gang members return to safe houses throughout

15228-499: The overall risk of death, and intravenous use potentially increases the risk of trauma and infectious diseases such as blood infections and HIV through the use of shared paraphernalia . It also increases risk of stroke , heart attack , cardiac arrhythmia, lung injury (when smoked), and sudden cardiac death . Illicitly sold cocaine can be adulterated with fentanyl , local anesthetics , levamisole , cornstarch, quinine , or sugar, which can result in additional toxicity. In 2017,

15369-404: The past three years. Videos from the crime scene depict a sparsely furnished home with large puddles of blood and taints smeared on the walls; in addition, more than 100 AK-47 bullet casings were found at the crime scene. The Mexican authorities issued a money reward of $ 1 million pesos for anyone who could provide information that led to the arrest of the killers. One by one, the coffins of

15510-516: The peak effects are attained. Cocaine crosses the blood–brain barrier via both a proton-coupled organic cation antiporter and (to a lesser extent) via passive diffusion across cell membranes . As of September 2022, the gene or genes encoding the human proton-organic cation antiporter had not been identified. Cocaine has a short elimination half life of 0.7–1.5 hours and is extensively metabolized by plasma esterases and also by liver cholinesterases , with only about 1% excreted unchanged in

15651-452: The police and judicial systems. The Juárez cartel has been found to operate in 21 Mexican states. Its principal bases are Culiacán , Monterrey , Ciudad Juárez , Ojinaga , Mexico City , Guadalajara , Cuernavaca and Cancún . Members of the cartel were implicated in the serial murder site in Ciudad Juárez that was discovered in 2004 and has been dubbed the House of Death . Since 2007,

15792-584: The post-synaptic neuron, contributing to the mental and physical effects of cocaine exposure. A single dose of cocaine induces tolerance to the drug's effects. Repeated use is likely to result in addiction . Addicts who abstain from cocaine may experience prolonged craving lasting for many months. Abstaining addicts also experience modest drug withdrawal symptoms lasting up to 24 hours, with sleep disruption, anxiety, irritability, crashing, depression , decreased libido , decreased ability to feel pleasure , and fatigue being common. Use of cocaine increases

15933-578: The pulmonary capillary bed. The delay in absorption after oral ingestion may account for the popular belief that cocaine bioavailability from the stomach is lower than after insufflation. Compared with ingestion, the faster absorption of insufflated cocaine results in quicker attainment of maximum drug effects. Snorting cocaine produces maximum physiological effects within 40 minutes and maximum psychotropic effects within 20 minutes. Physiological and psychotropic effects from nasally insufflated cocaine are sustained for approximately 40–60 minutes after

16074-598: The risk of having a heart attack . Relatives of persons with cocaine addiction have an increased risk of cocaine addiction. Cocaine addiction occurs through ΔFosB overexpression in the nucleus accumbens , which results in altered transcriptional regulation in neurons within the nucleus accumbens . ΔFosB levels have been found to increase upon the use of cocaine. Each subsequent dose of cocaine continues to increase ΔFosB levels with no ceiling of tolerance. Elevated levels of ΔFosB leads to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF ) levels, which in turn increases

16215-401: The same as chewing tobacco is chewed) and sucked of its juices. The juices are absorbed slowly by the mucous membrane of the inner cheek and by the gastrointestinal tract when swallowed. Alternatively, coca leaves can be infused in liquid and consumed like tea. Coca tea , an infusion of coca leaves, is also a traditional method of consumption. The tea has often been recommended for travelers in

16356-464: The son or a close relative of the late drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes . Prior to 2012, the Juárez Cartel controlled one of the primary transportation routes for billions of dollars worth of illegal drug shipments annually entering the United States from Mexico. Since then, however, control of these areas has shifted to the Sinaloa Cartel . On September 1, 2013, the Mexican forces arrested Alberto Carrillo Fuentes, alias Betty la Fea ("Ugly Betty"), in

16497-409: The state of Chihuahua . In 2012 it was later confirmed by the Mexican authorities that the massacre was ordered by José Antonio Acosta Hernández ( El Diego ), a former drug baron of La Línea that is now imprisoned. A gang leader of Barrio Azteca also admitted to have ordered the massacre because he thought rival gang members were there. Despite the arrests, many of the family members were unhappy with

16638-505: The strength of the Juárez Cartel. The relationship between the Carrillo Fuentes clan and the other members of the organization grew unstable towards the end of the 1990s and into the 2000s. During the 1990s and early 2000s, drug lords from contiguous Mexican states forged an alliance that became known as 'The Golden Triangle Alliance' or 'La Alianza Triángulo de Oro' because of its three-state area of influence: Chihuahua , south of

16779-454: The study, "peak high" was found at a mean of 1.4 ± 0.5 minutes. Pyrolysis products of cocaine that occur only when heated/smoked have been shown to change the effect profile, i.e. anhydroecgonine methyl ester , when co-administered with cocaine, increases the dopamine in CPu and NAc brain regions, and has M 1 — and M 3 — receptor affinity. People often freebase crack with

16920-491: The sympathetic nerves are blocked, and the affected eye will remain constricted or dilate to a lesser extent than the opposing (unaffected) eye which also receives the eye drop test. If both eyes dilate equally, the patient does not have Horner syndrome. Topical cocaine is sometimes used as a local numbing agent and vasoconstrictor to help control pain and bleeding with surgery of the nose, mouth, throat or lacrimal duct . Although some absorption and systemic effects may occur,

17061-405: The synaptic cleft increase dopamine receptor activation in the post-synaptic neuron, causing euphoria and arousal. Cocaine also blocks the serotonin transporter and norepinephrine transporter , inhibiting reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine from the synaptic cleft into the pre-synaptic axon terminal and increasing activation of serotonin receptors and norepinephrine receptors in

17202-495: The targets of the Juarez Cartel. Cocaine Cocaine (from French cocaïne , from Spanish coca , ultimately from Quechua kúka ) is a tropane alkaloid that acts as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant . As an extract, it is mainly used recreationally and often illegally for its euphoric and rewarding effects. It is also used in medicine by Indigenous South Americans for various purposes and rarely, but more formally, as

17343-437: The tea per day gave a mild stimulation , increased heart rate , and mood elevation, and the tea was essentially harmless. Nasal insufflation (known colloquially as "snorting", "sniffing", or "blowing") is a common method of ingestion of recreational powdered cocaine. The drug coats and is absorbed through the mucous membranes lining the nasal passages . Cocaine's desired euphoric effects are delayed when snorted through

17484-435: The temporary departure of the workers in the U.S. consulate throughout northern Mexico, including the cities of Tijuana , Nogales , Matamoros , Nuevo Laredo , Monterrey , and Ciudad Juárez . This was not solely a response for the incident in Ciudad Juárez, but because of the drug-related violence along the border. The leader of Barrio Azteca, Arturo Gallegos Castrellón, better known for his nickname El Farmero , ordered

17625-470: The threat of breastfeeding : The March of Dimes said "it is likely that cocaine will reach the baby through breast milk," and advises the following regarding cocaine use during pregnancy: Cocaine use during pregnancy can affect a pregnant woman and her unborn baby in many ways. During the early months of pregnancy, it may increase the risk of miscarriage. Later in pregnancy, it can trigger preterm labor (labor that occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or cause

17766-432: The transporter's function. The dopamine transporter can no longer perform its reuptake function, and thus dopamine accumulates in the synaptic cleft . The increased concentration of dopamine in the synapse activates post-synaptic dopamine receptors, which makes the drug rewarding and promotes the compulsive use of cocaine. Cocaine affects certain serotonin (5-HT) receptors; in particular, it has been shown to antagonize

17907-422: The two men open a different door and allowed four other accomplices into the hallway, some of them who were carrying assault rifles. At that point, the triggermen opened the doors of another room, and that is when the firing began. Officials of the state of Chihuahua said they were unable to locate the five weapons used in the massacre; nonetheless, an AR-15 assault rifle, one of the weapons thought to be used in

18048-486: The urine. The metabolism is dominated by hydrolytic ester cleavage, so the eliminated metabolites consist mostly of benzoylecgonine (BE), the major metabolite , and other metabolites in lesser amounts such as ecgonine methyl ester (EME) and ecgonine . Further minor metabolites of cocaine include norcocaine , p-hydroxycocaine, m-hydroxycocaine, p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine (pOHBE), and m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine. If consumed with alcohol , cocaine combines with alcohol in

18189-408: The use of cocaine as a topical anesthetic and vasoconstrictor is generally safe, rarely causing cardiovascular toxicity, glaucoma , and pupil dilation . Occasionally, cocaine is mixed with adrenaline and sodium bicarbonate and used topically for surgery, a formulation called Moffett's solution . Cocaine hydrochloride ( Goprelto ), an ester local anesthetic, was approved for medical use in

18330-648: The user contracting blood-borne infections if sterile injecting equipment is not available or used. An injected mixture of cocaine and heroin , known as " speedball ", is a particularly dangerous combination, as the converse effects of the drugs actually complement each other, but may also mask the symptoms of an overdose. It has been responsible for numerous deaths, including celebrities such as comedians/actors John Belushi and Chris Farley , Mitch Hedberg , River Phoenix , grunge singer Layne Staley and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman . Experimentally, cocaine injections can be delivered to animals such as fruit flies to study

18471-419: The victims were carried out from their homes on 4 February 2010, as their families demanded for justice. The governor of the state of Chihuahua, José Reyes Baeza Terrazas , showed up at the funeral unexpectedly to pay his respects to the families. Felipe Calderón , Mexico's president, also visited the family members and handed a memorial plaque to the parents of the victims. The mayor of Ciudad Juárez said that

18612-536: The western state of Nayarit . He had taken the leadership of the organization in 2013 after his brother Vicente Carrillo Fuentes (fugitive until his arrest in October 2014) retired following a reported illness. The Mexican government has auctioned off the villa of the late drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes. The Mexico City home sold for more than $ 2m (£1.6m) with the proceeds going to Mexico's public health service and its fight against coronavirus. Since March 2010, it

18753-442: The whole thing on fire. Eduardo Ravelo , the captured former leader of the Barrio Azteca, began his criminal career in the year 2003, amassing a list of charges for racketeering and numerous conspiracy charges with the intent to distribute narcotics. In the year 2005, an informant and former lieutenant of the gang testified that Ravelo was looking for a man who had stolen goods from the Juárez cartel. The informant said that Ravelo

18894-442: The worker had angered some members inside a Texan prison; whether the attack intended to be a message to the American drug agents; or whether simply a case of mistaken identity. Whatever the reasons, the attack sent shock waves and huge concern for the United States' role in Mexico, and how American street gangs are quickly adopting the violent tactics of Mexico's drug trafficking organizations and making alliances with them just across

19035-414: The world considered Ciudad Juárez as one of the most dangerous – if not the most dangerous – city on the planet in 2010. Initial reports stated that unknown gunmen of a drug trafficking organization shot and killed a pregnant U.S. consulate woman and her husband in broad daylight in Ciudad Juárez on 13 March 2010, leaving a baby wailing in the back seat of the car. Later on that same day, gunmen killed

19176-411: Was 14.6 minutes. Any damage to the inside of the nose is due to cocaine constricting blood vessels — and therefore restricting blood and oxygen/nutrient flow — to that area. Rolled up banknotes , hollowed-out pens , cut straws , pointed ends of keys, specialized spoons , long fingernails , and (clean) tampon applicators are often used to insufflate cocaine. The cocaine typically is poured onto

19317-410: Was also in a white SUV, but U.S. authorities do not discard the possibility that the gunmen were searching for someone else in the second attack and coincidentally happened to be a white vehicle too, killing the consulate workers by mistake. Others had other speculations on the attack; it was unclear whether the consulate worker was targeted for being slow with the visas of some cartel members; whether

19458-490: Was arrested in Chihuahua City. Santana is accused of being a major force in the recent bloodshed which occurred in Juárez. In November 2019, three members of La Empresa were arrested. On March 5, 2020, 9 suspected La Empresa members were arrested. In January 2020, Juarez police arrested the leader of the group's "Old Guard" faction, Jesus Alfredo Martinez Mendoza, alias "El Freddy or El Ferro." In addition to being

19599-547: Was between Barrio Azteca and Los Mexicles , erupted at around 6 a.m. after the conclusion of a series of conjugal visits. Alongside Los Mexicles were the Artistas Asesinos , a rival gang and an enforcer group of the Sinaloa cartel. All 20 of the dead were members of Los Mexicles and Artistas Asesinos, indicating that the prison fight was instigated by members of the Barrio Azteca group. One report issued by Los Angeles Times stated that members of Barrio Azteca stole

19740-514: Was founded around the 1970s. When leader Pablo Acosta Villarreal was killed in April 1987 during a cross-border raid by Mexican Federal Police helicopters in the Rio Grande village of Santa Elena, Chihuahua, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo took his place along with Amado Carrillo Fuentes , nephew of Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo . Guajardo was eventually betrayed and murdered in 1993 by Amado, who became

19881-464: Was taken to a house in El Paso where a gang member was being held, his mouth, wrists, and ankles bound with duct tape. Ravelo then ordered the traitor to be sent to the Juárez cartel, and he was never heard from again. In El Paso Ravelo's gang is known as Barrio Azteca, a gang originally morphed from the so-called Mexican Mafia prison gang. During its initial years, the gang's aim was street robbery to collect funds to liberate prisoners in jail. Today,

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