the odds of the "big easy" winning the u.s. open twice? 1 in 1.2 billion. the odds of him having a child diagnosed with autism? 1 in 150. ernie els encourages you to learn the signs of autism. >> tonight on war stories, drugs money and narco terror. mayhem in mexico. >> it's just a death culture. >> 800 were buried in unmarked graves. >> it's right on our borders. >> it's throughout the united states. >> three dozen kidnapping. >> and teenage cartel assassin tells a

you're watching fox news, most powerful name in news.

>> julie: no one is immune to it. among those seduced by the lifestyle, are beauty queens, cops and politicians. it's been called a narco insurgency, gun fights among heavily armed gun car tells have killed thousands. violence has spiraled out of control and threatened to spill across our border. narco terrorists have infiltrated 230 american cities. one of them is this person on

interview. they said he may have killed up to 30 people. this is war stories, i'm oliver north coming to you from mexico city. behind me the national cathedral in the heart of the sprawling metropolis. the lethal combination of drugs, guns and violence is age old but today it's deadlier and bloody than ever. a staggering 11,000 people since 2006 have died in drug-related violence in mexico. that is more than double the number of americans killed in afghanistan and iraq since 2001. and the effects of this narco brutality are evident well across the u.s. border. >> coke, meth, pot, illegal drugs shipped to eastern states. using atlanta as a major distribution point. >> they have been found, he is

safe and in our custody. >> the boy's kidnapping is believed to have been linked to his grandfather's involvement with mexican drug legallyers. >> they say mexican car telsz have infiltrated 230 american cities. one of them probably is neighborhood near you. >> narcotics and smuggling have long been an issue here, but this is an explosion. >> we in tucson seeing a proliferation of what we term home invasion. >> 90% of the cocaine that ends up on our streets travel through mexico. 80% of methamphetamines is produced there. and southern neighbor is the main foreign supply of marijuana >> it's come down, but it's gone up. there is violence among these groups. >> attorney general mora is top

law enforcer. before his appointment by felipe calderon he ran the federal police hand prisons and headed mexico's intelligence agency. >> we need to recover for mexican families. >> by summer count, juarez is most dangerous city in mexico. we traveled there to meet the mayor of the town. >> about 1600 people were killed in the city, close to 800 were buried in unmarked graves. >> downtown el paso used to be white. >> just a few feet from texas, juarez is the epicenter of a vicious war. rival cartels are creating mayhem as they battle straight into the heart of america.

>> 1500 died, only 30 were classified as innocent civilians and there were about 50 police officers that died. >> it's a classic turf war between different cartels. >> they spent 23 years fighting for the drug enforcement administration. recently retired he was in charge of global operations for the dea's 5300 special agents. >> along the southwest border is some of the most lucrative turf in the world. location, location, location. >> ten billion dollars in bulk cash grows the u.s.-mexico border on a given day related to drug trafficking. >> ten billion narco trafficking dollars is on par with the tourism industry which generated about $13 billion for mexico.

during his presidential campaign felipe calderon vowed to crack down on the cartels. >> the army came in with about 2,000 troops. felipe calderon sent 5,000 additional army troops that will join the police department. >> 45,000 soldiers have been deployed all across mexico, a quarter of the army is now committed to fighting narco terror. >> since december 2006, he has waged a miserable battle against the narco kings men, a history of corruption, referred to as -- this is a jaw dropping example. watch as 53 inmates scurry out of a prison. many believe to be cartel hit men.

>> the attorney general has detained some 40 people over this jail-break. >> one of the things that felipe calderon has done is start prosecuting local officials who are corrupt. >> so far we have invited among 600 of the police officers to very high ranking officers in the state. when the army first dame in a year ago they were stopping police cars and they actually found at least two police cars with drugs in them that were transporting drugs to organized crime. this is the only city that went through a tremendous cleanup process of their police departments. >> he enlisted to his police chief cruz. >> he went through the whole cleanup and half of their police force and identified as not being trustworthy. >> what happened to cruz?

>> the three police officers that were protecting him were killed. there were threats on his life. the threats that every 48 hours they were going to kill a police officer. 48 hours later, two police officers were killed. >> to prevent the murders of more of his in men, he reluctantly resigned and left mexico. >> the juarez police 97 is run by former military personnel. 1900 soldiers and police officers are fighting the cartels less than a mile from el paso, texas. when we met him in juarez, he had been on the job for only two months. >> very sharp young men and women out here. >> very good police and with the help of the soldiers it all becomes a stronger force. >> how many new versus before?

>> three times. >> you've been threatened personally. how were they delivered? >> most of the threats are delivered via police radio and every time police officer was going to be killed, you would hear on the radio first it two minutes later someone within the police force would be killed. ♪ >> the grim reality of narco terror permeated mexico. a 2,000 mile border separates it. can the thin line be protected? >> dea and a commando take down >> dea and a commando take down a female announcer: from jennifer, while supplies last, this luxurious microfiber sofa and chair, just $399. our most dramatic offer ever:

both pieces, $399, from jennifer. that's a-- tiny netbook. yeah, it's-- good-looking, lightweight. generally awesome. and you could just-- go online, video-chat with my cousin. this is un-- under $200. are you some kind of-- mind reader, visionary ? no, i have them. huh. the new lightweight hp mini netbook with windows and america's largest and most-reliable 3g network built in. only 199.99 with mobile broadband plans from 39.99 i am-- speechless, envious. wanna be me right now. getting one. (laughing through computer) good night, buddy. good morning, dad.

(announcer) oreo. milk's favorite cookie. ♪ bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better, indoors and outdoors. with zyrtec®, the fastest... 24-hour allergy medicine, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™. with the port of entry one of the busiest along the border with mexico.

across that bridge, our southern neighbors are waging war against narco insurgents that have murdered thousands and terrorized two nations. >> what percentage of that is narco killing each other? >> it's cartel versus cartel. >> until august 2009 he was the dea man in mexico. he served as regional director in north and central america. >> the american marketplace is what is fueling this narco insurgency. >> where there is a demand, they'll attempt to supply. >> cartels have stepped in to saturate the market. for cocaine they act as middle men moving the drug north from the point of origin in south america. >> all of the cocaine that is used around the world is coming from one place, the andean

region of south america. >> this is columbia, not from where i'm standing. the foothills of the andean mountains. more than half of the cocaine is produced here. one of them ramirez is awaiting trial on u.s. on trafficking charges. >> we're equipped and trained to work in these environments in the jungle and do air assault operations. >> we can't reveal his identity nor of his peers but he has been fighting narco insurgents for four years. their main goal is to fight the globally recognized terrorist organization more than 10,000 strong. >> they feel the insurgency down here by the production and sale of cocaine. >> he and seven other agents make up deanarco jungle

operations unit. >> these are the columbian nationalists along with the dea they are about to go on a raid. this is their mission brief. >> the mission, destroy this facility. it was revealed by a confidential source. the dea shared the information with the columbian national police. >> it's teamwork that is second to none. they are very professional and courteous and effective. >> war stories accompanied the team on the operation. leading the raid, 35 columbian jungle commandos an elite force trained by the dea and specialist forces.

>> they are very tough guys, absolutely. >> dea war stories and they were on the second bird. after an hour long flight. touchdown! everyone fanned out to their positions and trek to the objective. >> this is a drug wrap high in columbia, triple canopy, subtropical and few degrees from the equator. >> the lab appeared to house 26 people but no one was there. judge buying the warm rice and soup on the stove we just missed the narcos. >> someone had kitchen duty. they're going to miss lunch. >> processing the base right

now, this is the final process. cocaine before it hits the streets this is the final process. >> all the cans of chemicals, how can they get here? how did they arrive here. [ speaking spanish ] >> over underneath that shelter many microwave ovens. >> they microwave to dry the cocaine. >> how long has this site been here, this lab? >> maybe one or two months they use, a month or two months and then move. >> when we go on these missions, we process the scene and look for identifiers and send it back for special tests. >> we utilize whatever is the laboratory to make a connection and link it up to somewhere in florida, small town in virginia

where we've made an impact locally here in bogota but back in the united states. >> as a special agents gathered their evidence they found a cocaine production log. >> they had a tally production log and prep, that they had prepped 102. >> street value, $1.5 million and in new york city, twice that amount. >> in less than two hours, they had rigged the lab to put it permanently out of business. >> as in all wars, some battles are lot lost and others won. one of the greatest successes was shutting down the south florida and caribbean route used by king pins pablo eskobar but

that created a new problem. >> consequently they form alliances with existing mexican cartels. >> his nickname is short at this but those staring down the barrel of his gun, he is anything but small. thththththththth boss: so you've been doing a nice job out there helping people save money on car insurance. gecko: aw thank you, sir. boss: but i think there are a few other things you can say about what a reliable company geico is. gecko: right. uh, well maybe how geico's the third-largest car insurance company in america? nice tidbit there. boss: exactly. and i've been thinking, looking a bit more businesslike might help too. gecko: oh my. uhhh, no it's, what's, what's the word... vogeico. 15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance.

give to save lives and reach for the cure. call now or log on to childrensdiabetesfoundation.org. in the late 198officers and '90s american law enforcement tightened the noose through the caribbean and south florida. by the time escobar was shot and killed by columbian troops in 1993, traffickers had found new ways of sending their contraband into america -- through mexico. >> mexican drug world was

dominated by a genius named amado curteo. >> like the one run by curiteo. >> he was dominating the drug people but dominating the government of mexico through his nifty work, thinking of him as henry ford. he created the conduits and circuits of south america. >> ruling through powerful juarez cartel the kingpin ordered tons of cocaine and shipped directly to himself in mexico. eventually smuggling those drugs into the u.s. he died at 41, allegedly from complications following plastic surgery to change his appearance. >> he wired the business so nobody needs an innovator. >> the shipping routes established by him and

additional business of trafficking cocaine to the south america helped americans expand the distribution of different drug. >> why is marijuana the staple crop? >> they control it from the point of cultivation to many instances to the point of distribution in the united states. >> special agent in charge runs the dea's el paso division, covering an area of 54,000 square miles, roughly the size of california. >> that is about 2,000 pounds there. there is an additional 7,000 pounds there. all of that would be from one organization. >> this was already on this side of the border. >> if this marijuana had not been seized, the 15,000 pounds could have fetched upwards of $12 million on u.s. streets. >> the major cartels in mexico are the gulf cartels, tijuana

cartel and out of sinolola and another one. >> this is one of the most wanted men in mexico. guzman, king man of the cartel. nicknamed shorty. he debutted as 7801 of forbes list of billionaires. personal fortune is one billion dollars. >> he is expanding his market. he was incarcerated in ex can prison and escaped. but translation he bribed his way out of the prison. >> he has been on the run ever since. >> dead man walking. >> but he also upped the ante ordering to kill anyone that threatens his drug running

business including u.s. law enforcement. >> you can't stay on the job unless you kill people. >> the power of the five drug cartels in this country all have been tentacles operating throughout the united states which results in albeit limited, but a very important spillover of violence in our own country. >> coming up a prison interview an american citizen recruited to kill for xea ease most brutal cartels. he was a u.s. army ranger during blackhawk down and now sheet border of mexico with in a different kind of fight. meet one of america's guardians next on war stories. my guys brush their teeth like they clean their room. i'm glad anticavity listerine® smart rinse™ attracts stuff like a magnet, then shows it in the sink. ewww. gross. cool! (announcer) listerine® smart rinse™.

save, visit sterinekids.com being smart. yep. just booked my 10th night on hotels.com, so i get a night free. you are smart. accumulate 10 nights and get a night free anywhere. welcome rewards. smart. so smart. of the world's most revered luxury sedan. this is a history of over 50,000 crash-tested cars... this is the world record for longevity and endurance. and one of the most technologically advanced automobiles on the planet. this is the 9th generation e-class. this is mercedes-benz.

tear yate go security situation but that may change as things get worse. >> oliver: more than 11,000 people have been murdered in mexico as drug cartels try to dominate smuggling into america. most dangerous city in mexico, juarez right on the border. ironically the third safest city in mexico, el paso, texas is just a short bridge away. known as the eyes in the sky, dea has 124 special agent pilots

one of them took us on a flight over the area of operations in a single-engine turbotrop. he has more than hundred for surveillance and to support investigations on the ground. >> it's on the side. >> the smugglers, border patrol.... >> this is the border. part of our mission is to prevent that. from spinning in the u.s. >> they guard our 2,000 mile frontier of mexico. 17,000 badges control the u.s. ports of entry and patrol the

barren landscapes of our southwest. >> these mustangs are very sturdy horses. >> if you chased anybody down on horseback? >> yes, many times. >> alberto rodriguez a former army ranger was in so mal yeah and today he continues to serve his country on the home front. >> we see the border as it goes on and on. >> i joined the border patrol in 2003. >> agent rodriguez is a team leader with the special response team attached to a special unit. his main goal is to stop illegal entry. >> increasingly, people who

can't pay the fee to be smuggled across the border is being offered an option, carrying drugs. >> not every migrant has the money and so your job is to carry this backpack in to the united states. >> human trafficking, that is what they do. >> oliver: and stopping it can be just as dangerous. his fellow agent robert rojas was killed in action in july 2009. according to the ongoing investigation, the five suspects detained in connection with his murder are thought to be either drug or human traffickers or both. >> latest edition to the arsenal is this, some 630 miles have been built.

>> the has this fence changed anything? >> this fence has made a big difference. >> it has denied the drug organization traffickers to roam free. >> they and other local and state agencies are up against ingenius smugglers. they have hidden cocaine in frozen sharks and build submersibles and even sent ultra light aircraft soaring into america. on the ground entrenched on the border, a network of narco criminals called gate keeper. >> a gatekeeper is the key to the drug trafficking criminal tivt along the southwest border. >> arthur doty is director of the el paso center. >> they have family on both sides and businesses on both sides. the border to them is a minor

challenge. >> oliver: so these are contractors? >> very much so. >> oliver: for whom? >> a higher cartel that controls it into mexico. >> these are individuals in mexico that don't have the knowledge, the understanding of that border so these individuals will difl a relationship with gate keepers. those individuals will then take the drugs north into the united states. >> oliver: u.s. and allied law enforcement intercepted 6 million pounds a year but narco trichtd stop at nothing to protect their loads and eliminate competition. [ gun shots ] >> coming up, don't miss the bone chilling account of an american born assassin. american born assassin. that next on war stories.es ♪ [ female announcer ] arthritis targets your body where it's weak.

where it's vulnerable. ♪ tylenol arthritis works with your body to block the pain, without interfering with certain high blood pressure medicines like aleve sometimes can. ♪ so you don't just feel better, you feel better knowing doctors recommend tylenol more than any other brand of pain reliever. ♪ - oh, come on. - enough! you get half and you get half. ( chirp ) team three, boathouse? ( chirp ) oh yeah-- his and hers. - ( crowd gasping ) - ( chirp ) van gogh? ( chirp ) even steven. - ( chirp ) mansion. - ( chirp ) good to go. ( grunts ) timber! ( chirp ) boss? what do we do with the shih-tzu? - ( crowd gasps ) - ( chirp ) joint custody. - phew! - announcer: get work done now. communicate in less than a second with nextel direct connect. only on the now network. deaf, hard of hearing and people with speech disabilities access www.sprintrelay.com. th90s slacker hip-hop.tel direct connect. only on the now network. ♪ that can strain your relationships and hurt yourody 'cause we'pride ♪ng a ride ♪ ♪ it's the credit roller aster ♪

♪ and as you can see it kinda bites! ♪ ♪ so sing the lyrics with me: ♪ when your debt goes up your score goes down ♪ ♪ when you pay a little off it goes the other way 'round ♪ ♪ it's just the same for everybody, every boy and girl ♪ ♪ the credit roller coaster makes you wanna hurl ♪ ♪ so throw your hands in the air, and wave 'em around ♪ ♪ like a wanna-be frat boy trying to get down ♪ ♪ then bring 'em right back to where your laptop's at... ♪ ♪ log on to free credit report dot com - stat! ♪ vo: free credit score and report with enrollment in triple advantage. ♪ i hope you never lose your sense of wonder ♪ promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, ♪ promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, ♪ promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, ♪ promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, ♪ and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, ♪ and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, ♪ and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, ♪ and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance . . . ♪ i hope you dance. ♪ i hope you dance. ♪ hope you dance. ♪ hope you dance. ♪ hope you dance.

a 150 mile border between texas and mexico. >> on the american side the city of laredo. on the other, nuevo laredo, a mexican city scarred by narco terrorists. but the river is what separates them from the bloodshed next door. >> many who grew up straddling this border fall prey to the perverse illusion to a life of open lance. >> if they go in the drug war they get the good-looking women and drive a car for a while. >> 20-year-old serving 70 years for his role in the murders of

garcia and another person. in a state prison in abilene, he stepped down with our war stories producer for an interview. he described the life of crime that began at 13 and ended behind bars. born in houston to a father in construction and mother that as a hairstylist. he had a good life. they moved to laredo and settled into a neighborhood near the riogrande, yards from mexico. he refused to talk about his criminal career in america but did offer rare insight into the mexican cartel that seduced him to a promise of life of luxury. >> money, cars, houses.

>> those people are believed to be cartel henchmen who befriended the then 13-year-old at a nightclub in mexico. parting turned to violence when the young recruit qualified for training camp and was soon being groomed to kill. >> the american teenager was now part of a well armed and violent gang found by special forces who acted as enforcers for the notorious gulf cartel. among the top people, trevino wanted on both sides of the border. 38-year-old is the gatekeeper of the smuggling core. texan law enforcement says he is

the man. >> he is in charge of the area. >> roberto garcia is a veteran of the laredo police department and. following threats garcia asked that we disguise his appearance. >> they were working for them. >> he says reta and jesus and jesse gonzalez all of them american teenagers were contract killers operating out of this safe house in downtown laredo. >> the it was ordered depending

on person of interest the price would range from $10,000 to $50,000. >> oliver: in december 2005, laredo police say trevino ordered a hit on garcia, a reputed drug deal they're stolen narcotics. >> he was executed while exiting the parking lot of a restaurant along with his family and shot multiple times. >> a month later, another man flores stepped out of this house and met death. >> he was shot multiple times.

he was actually the wrong target. >> oliver: following the botched job. assassins fled across the river into mexico. >> they went into hiding but he was arrested but while being detained he called a dea agents and requested to be extradited. >> he admitted he might have killed up to 30 people. >> oliver: in this taped interrogation he described his first murder to detective garcia. >> oliver: he pleaded guilty to the homicide and was sentenced to 30 years. he was convicted in the florez

murder and got an additional 40 but that is now on appeal. he now lives in penn state prison pondering the choices he made. the other alleged asasz ingest si gonzalez was stabbed to death in a mexican prison. as for his childhood friend cardona he is behind bars for five murders in the laredo area. plus as a result of operation prophesy a multioperation led by laredo and pd. >> there were 25 people arrested in total involved but we're not going to kid ourselves, it could start any day, but we're prepared for it. >> oliver: phoenix has become the kidnapping capital of the u.s.

find out how the state is it's t most for headaches. for arthritis pain... in your hands... knees... and back. for little bodies with fevers.. and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body... in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever. progress... it starts with more models than toyota or honda with an epa estimated 30 miles per gallon highway or better. next, it's a lineup of hybrids that fit the way you live,

and one day, chevy volt,

i'm toni braxton,o up and i encourage you to learn the signs of autism at autismspeaks.org. >> oliver: from texas towns to san diego, it's nearly 2,000 miles long. the border of mexico is the border of the carnage next door. >> the amount of drugs coming through to united states through arizona is staggering. >> number one goal is to protect the public and two is to get the narcotics and the weapons off the streets. >> looks like meth. >> our challenges in arizona is daunting. >> it's a hot bed for kidnapping

most of it is border related. this is the latest the city that is now the capital of the country. >> narcotics and smuggling has been an issue in phoenix but this is an explosion for it. >> oliver: he has been a phoenix police officer for 22 years and she is in charge for home invasion and kidnapping enforcement. >> the victim is someone that might be involved in human smuggling. >> oliver: they reported over 500 kidnappings. >> they are bound with duct tape. >> we believe there are organized cells that are committing these crimes and mimic things that are going on in mexico. >> oliver: tucson is 120 miles southeast of phoenix. arizona's second largest city is rest link with its own crime

problem. >> five years ago a home invasion was something you hardly ever heard of and now there is more and more. home invasion, robbery, kidnapping and missing people. >> oliver: the sergeant heads up the home invasion and kidnapping unit in tucson, 70 miles from the mexican border. war stories rode along with his team. >> we really specialize in the more sophisticated types of people that commit home invasion robberies in more of an organized fashion. >> oliver: they investigate anywhere 150 cases at a time. >> whether it fits the description. >> and. to pick up a perimeter.

>> oliver: while the sergeant and detectives continue to follow leads on other home invasions the tucson pd's narcotic alliance gets drugs off the city streets. the sergeant prepares for a buy bust. >> you're going to be right in this area. >> in this is a mcdonald's right over here. >> his undercover officer is given $15,000 in cash to make a buy. >> he is just a guy we made contact with and officers have been buying cocaine for him and he has been buying from him and upping the amount. >> backing up the narcotics guy because of the past history of him being armed. >> they waited for hours.

the dealer didn't show. >> and you guys copy, she pulling out now. >> all right. let's go back to code 13. >> but the next day -- he did. he is waiting in this gray pickup truck. >> is that him? 10-4. >> okay, uniform got him. >> perfect. >> and ask me whatever question you want and i'll tell you, okay? >> the drugs from the suspect's vehicle to make sure it actually is cocaine. >> whether it's the actual cocaine, it will turn blue. >> they will determine a drug's

origin. >> they can test for different substance they use to cut the cocaine and compare one sample to another. >> they say the operations are paying off. >> the price of cocaine in the united states has risen and it showed that our efforts have made a difference. >> oliver: say with us as war stories investigates the deadly stories investigates the deadly trio, drugs, momomomomomonemomo that's a-- tiny netbook. yeah, it's-- good-looking, lightweight. generally awesome. and you could just-- go online, video-chat with my cousin. this is un-- under $200. are you some kind of-- mind reader, visionary ? no, i have them. huh. the new lightweight hp mini netbook with windows and america's largest and most-reliable 3g network built in. only 199.99 with mobile broadband plans from 39.99 i am-- speechless, envious. wanna be me right now.

getting one. ♪ bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better, indoors and outdoors. with zyrtec®, the fastest... 24-hour allergy medicine, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™. of the world's most revered luxury sedan. this is a history of over 50,000 crash-tested cars... this is the world record for longevity and endurance. and one of the most technologically advanced automobiles on the planet. this is the 9th generation e-class. this is mercedes-benz.

being smart. yep. just booked my 10th night on hotels.com, so i get a night free. you are smart. accumulate 10 nights and get a night free anywhere. welcome rewards. smart. so smart. i don't recognize this man. if you or someone you know has a drug or alcohol problem, recovery is the solution... tdd: 800-487-4889.

through treatment, my life is brighter now... brought to you by the u.s. department of health and human services. >> oliver: among the latest victims of the drug fueled carnage in mexico is 55-year-old lawyer who represented cartel suspects. at the most recent summit president obama pledged continuing support for mexican counterparts in the war next door. >> the united states will remain a full partner in this effort. >> narco terror has no front line. it extends well beyond both sides of our border. the fight against the lethal combination of drugs, money and violence is complex as it is deadly and as you've seen tonight it involved thousands of dedicated americans and brave men and women from more than a dozen countries from this hemisphere.