ABSTRACT
It is a well-known fact that the drug-related violence in Mexico has seen an upsurge in recent years. This increase in violent crimes has been attributed to the so-called “war against drug trafficking,” which was declared when President Felipe Calderón took office in 2006. According to a report from the Procuraduría General de la República (the attorney general of Mexico) from 2006 to September 2011 there have been around 47,515 drug-related deaths in Mexico—10 percent of which are considered civilian casualties. 1 As a result, Mexicans have been fleeing areas where the conflict between drug cartels, or between drug lords and the Mexican army, has been more intense. International migration is certainly an attractive option, especially for those living closer to the border. This chapter aims at documenting the effect of drug-related violence on Mexican immigration to the United States, as well as characterizing the violence-led immigrants.
