Mexico's Highway of Death
Indeed you have seen on the news how Mexico is fighting the ever powerful drug lords. The entire country seems to be handled by them, and everywhere you go there is a risk of getting hurt by criminals. Of course there are certain areas where things aren't too bad, but there are also hot areas where drug lords go in killing sprees every other day. Moreover, there is a particular road – Highway 101 – that has turned into Mexico's Highway of Death because of the constant murders. This main road connects Tamaulipas and Matamoros to another large Mexican highway, and it runs along the Sierra Madre Oriental cordillera.
Highway 101: Death
Highway 101 used to be one of the busiest roads in the northern region of Mexico. Today, it runs empty and abandoned, clearly more of a Ghost Road rather than a Highway of Death. However, the reason for this is the hundreds of dead bodies found during the past few years. Drug lords knew thousands of people took this highway on a daily basis, so they started to snatch them from the road. They would murder the men and rape the women, and later simply dump their bodies on the side of the road. They also stopped buses that carried migrants from other countries, who were headed to the U.S., and they tortured them and murdered them after taking the little money they had.
Main Highway of Death
Mexico's Highway of Death is now deserted. Every time the authorities find a ditch with dozens of bodies, not even the local news reporters would cover the tragedy. In some cases, known television stations will arrive only if they are escorted by Mexican Marines. This has come to change the everyday living of several Mexicans and Americans, who would travel back and forth between the two countries. It was quite common for people to drive four hours from Brownsville to Tamaulipas to meet with friends and/or family. This tradition is definitely changing for many. In order to find a bit of confidence, some people will take Highway 101 only if they are traveling in groups and speeding at 90 miles per hour. This makes it a bit more difficult for criminals to stop them. In addition, they are starting to carry their own firearms in case they need to defend themselves and their families.
Avoiding Criminals
Just a few years ago, Mexico's now Highway of Death, was heavily used by commerce trucks. There was a lot of activity among the Mexican cities, such as Matamoros, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas. Now that it has become so dangerous, the majority of truck companies prefer to take alternate routes, even if it means delaying the delivery of the products. When it comes to American trucks, they are not traveling frequently to Mexico. In some instances, Americans have been targets of the drug lords; in most cases, they do it out of cruelty. The best way to avoid getting shot is to avoid the Mexican Highway of Death altogether. Mexican authorities have requested locals to take alternate roads.