MAD WORLD: A Gang War Used as a Diversion for a Prison Break

Man, those crazy Mexicans. What will they think of next. First they create wild west legends that have created a stoic image for the last 150 years. Then they settle California and turn it over to America. Then they introduce recreational marijuana smoking to the mainstream gringos north of the border. Then they form a hard drug racket with colorful narcotraficantes who make Pablo Escobar look like a small fry, inspiring everything from Mexican pop songs to television programming to laying the groundwork for our new five families (The Zetas, the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa, the Juarez gang, the Arellano-Felix Tijuana cartel) to revolutionize the world of organized crime and no doubt provide plenty of great fodder for 21st century folk stories and whatnot.

Some people believe the US is winning the war on drugs. With Cocaine expanding in Bolivia and Peru due to the US crackdown on Columbia and the Mexican narcotraficantes growing more powerful and destructive as Calderon's soldiers tighten the screws, I'd have to disagree. But I digress. No, the Mexican drug wars are just as explosive and amazing as any sectarian violence happening in some desert on the other side of the world. But at least they've been entertaining in a sick "Holy Shit!" kinda way. Quite the performers, los mejicanos, right?

Well, always looking to please, just a few days ago a prison riot hit that could rival the most imaginative crime scenarios. Because the riot wasn't just a riot. The 44 people killed were all members of the Gulf Cartel. And the riot turned out to be a diversion for the 30 or so members of the Gulf Cartel's rival Zetas to escape prison. A little history - the Zetas started as the strong-arms for hire by the Gulf Cartel, crazy ex-militarios and policia looking for something better than the pitiful Mexican military/police paycheck. Then the Zetas broke off on their own, essentially taking the heft of the Gulf Cartel's muscle. This spawned a brutal rivalry. Ensuring this is just one of many such vicious battles. A gang fight/massacre that leads to a prison break? You can't script this shit.

- Ryan