Thread by @VICENews

NEW: Mexican drug cartels have turned once-thriving Guadalajara into a war zone.

The discovery of dozens of grisly “extermination houses” and mass graves has set the city on edge. bit.ly/3eF7k2b

The rise of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) over the past decade ties directly to the downward spiral of Guadalajara and the rest of the state into violent disorder. bit.ly/3eF7k2b

Even after the original Guadalajara Cartel fragmented around 1990, the city of Guadalajara remained a relatively safe haven for narcos to live and raise their families, and especially to launder money. bit.ly/3eF7k2b

"It's a narco-state," said one Guadalajara resident, visibly upset. Her son disappeared in 2017. "The government doesn't have order. There's no longer a rule of law." bit.ly/3eF7k2b

A shootout erupted in broad daylight on February 8 between law enforcement and two rival groups, ending with at least one dead and three wounded.

Later that same week, 18 garbage bags filled with hacked-up body parts were discovered a short drive away. bit.ly/3eF7k2b

Since December 2018, Jalisco has registered more disappearances than any other Mexican state, accounting for more than 20% of all cases in Mexico.

At least 75 police have been killed in Jalisco since 2018. The majority of their murders remain unsolved. bit.ly/3eF7k2b

All three law enforcement officials interviewed by @VICEWorldNews estimated that around a third of the local authorities had been corrupted, from low-level cops to higher-ups in the prosecutor's office. bit.ly/3eF7k2b

"There's a lot of people that get killed by the mafia and [the authorities] don't put too much money and too much energy into investigating," said one detective. "It's too sad.” bit.ly/3eF7k2b