Crime on the Rise

Excelsior tells us that the number of federal criminal charges has risen by 68 percent over the past four years in Mexico. Whether this is reflects an actual rise in crime or a more aggressive stance from the federal authorities is left to the reader, but I'm guessing it's more of the latter.

A couple of interesting nuggets: Jalisco, home to Guadalajara, has far and away the highest number of drug charges, with more than 23,000. The second state on the list, Baja California, has barely half the number. Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, and Sinaloa, three of the most drug-addled states in the nation, have a combined total of drug offenses that less than half of Jalisco's alone. Mexico City sees almost four times as many money laundering charges as any other entity. Guanajuato, which doesn't have a reputation for drug trafficking, was third on the list for drug crime, with almost 11,000 charges.