Cartel Country (2021)
In the heart of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, violence has become an entrenched way of life. This region is home to the notorious Sinaloa cartel, one of the most powerful drug syndicates in the world. Murders and disappearances are rampant, and the police, who are meant to protect the population, often find themselves as targets of violence. Shockingly, over 500 officers lost their lives in Mexico last year.
But the corruption runs deeper. The police force and government are entangled in a web of complicity with the cartels. The Sinaloa cartel operates from hidden bases in the Sierra Madre mountains, where they cultivate poppies and marijuana for export. They fend off outsiders with guns, while simultaneously bribing visiting police and security officers with money and women. The chilling words of a local leader echo: “The government is the one in charge; the cartel is only as big as the government wants us to be.”
Even more disturbingly, a 13-year-old brandishing a gun explains that the violence stems directly from the drug trade. “If there weren’t any drugs,” he says, “people wouldn’t be killing each other over them.” Investigative journalist Anabel Hernández expresses skepticism about the government’s ability to tackle the problem. Despite promises of change, corruption and impunity persist.
The community bears the brunt of this deadly dance between organized crime and authorities. Mirna Quiñones, whose son disappeared seven years ago, took matters into her own hands. She founded the Trackers of El Fuerte group, dedicated to helping parents search for their missing children. In their relentless pursuit, they’ve uncovered over two hundred bodies. Justice remains elusive, and the government’s efforts to investigate the cartels and undermine their support base are met with skepticism.
Cartel Country takes viewers where few have ventured—inside the very heart of the Sinaloa cartel. Through this gripping documentary, reporter Ben Zand exposes a country ensnared by organized crime, where violence, corruption, and tragedy intertwine in a deadly dance.
