Violence Escalates as Mexico Drug War Continues

JIM LEHRER: Next, Mexico's violent drug war. We have a report from the Tijuana-San Diego border from Bill Neely of Independent Television News.

BILL NEELY: It's the sound of a country in crisis, daylight gun battles and a national nightmare.

Mexico is reeling from drug violence more deadly than the war in Afghanistan. Six died in this shootout, but nearly 100 people are being murdered every week. In one gun battle this month, six killed from one drug gang, 14 from another in a fight over turf.

Mexico's leaders are struggling to hold their country together.

Dozens of lives are being lost every week.

MAYOR JORGE RAMOS, Tijuana mayor: Absolutely, because it's a real war. I mean, this is not -- we're not faking what we're doing. It's truly and it's really happening. But we're making a lot of progress.

BILL NEELY: This doesn't look like progress: a dozen men mutilated, drug cartels beheading rivals, copying the terror tactics of Iraq, Mexico's army on the streets, but often outfought by ruthless gangs with better weapons.

Tens of thousands of troops have been deployed in Mexico's cities. These are actually special forces, and they've been on the streets for about two years, but this isn't a war they're winning.

When even the soldiers wear masks so they can't be identified by the drug gangs, you know this is a country gripped by fear. And with good reason: This man was arrested in Tijuana last month for dissolving bodies in acid. He disposed of at least 300 people, murdered by the cartel he worked for.

I watched Mexico's police parade other gang members. They arrest thousands, but the killing never stops.

And they've never been seen again?

CHRISTINA PALACIOS: Never been seen again.