In the Shadow of Saint Death: The Gulf Cartel and the Price of America's Drug War in Mexico

by Michael Deibert

With the war between the Mexican state and the drug traffickers operating within its borders having claimed over 70,000 lives since 2006, noted journalist and author Michael Deibert zeroes in on the story of the notorious Gulf Cartel, their deadly war with their former allies Los Zetas, the cartel's connections in Mexican politics and what its trajectory means for Mexico’s--and America’s--future.

Punctuated by the disappearance of busloads of full of people from Mexican highways, heavy-weapon firefights in once-picturesque colonial towns and the discovery of mass graves, nowhere has the violence of Mexico’s drug war been more intense than directly across the border from East Texas, the scene of a scorched-earth war between two of Mexico’s largest drug trafficking The Gulf Cartel, a criminal body with roots stretching back to Prohibition, and Los Zetas, a group famous for their savagery and largely made up of deserters form Mexico's armed forces. From the valleys and sierras of rural Tamaulipas and Nuevo León to the economic hub of Monterrey, the violence rivals anything seen in the more well-known narco war in Ciudad Juárez, 830 miles to the west.

Combining dozens of interviews that the author has conducted over the last six years in Mexico and other countries in the region along with a vast reserve of secondary source material, In the Shadow of Saint Death gives U.S. readers the story of the war being waged along our border in the voices of the cartel hitmen, law enforcement officials, politicians, shopkeepers, migrants and children living inside of it year-round. Through their stories, the book will pose provocative questions about the direction and consequence of U.S. drug policy and the militarized approach to combating the narcotics trade on both sides of the border.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crime, True Crime

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2014

About the author

Michael Deibert first visited Haiti in 1997 and serves as the Reuters correspondent in Port-au-Prince from 2001 until 2003. His writing on Latin America and the Caribbean has appeared in Newsday, the Miami Herald, The Village Voice, The Economist Intelligence Unit, Salon, and The Guardian, among other publications.

Reviews

[Cora Lorenzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

that was the hardest book I've ever read in my life. I knew that Mexico and South America's government was corrupt but to find out that the U.S. government was just as corrupt from bottom to top as well as banks laundering money and large businesses CEO's taking bribes for political gain. it makes me wonder how long before the drug cartel starts taking over America, or have they already started.

[Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think all Americans need to read this book. It spells out in graphic detail the impact of the drug war. The author makes a salient point that Americans need to understand the farther reaching effects of drug use. The slaughtering is horrifying, outrageous, and heart breaking.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

In light of Deibert's other work, disappointing. Pretty much an enumeration of death without much analysis of the current & historical background.

[C R · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Shadow of Saint Death chronicles the plight of Mexico since its independence from Spain. highlighting factors that have been influential in contributing to what has become known as Mexico's War on Drugs. Deibert's account is as informational as it is terrifying and it forces readers to consider the extreme and disastrous impact that US politics and policies have had, and continue to have, on its neighbour to the south.

[Romulo Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a powerful and disturbing account of the Drug War being waged inside Mexico. The brazen acts of violence and blatant corruption of the cartels and politicians is equal parts scary and sad. And to know that our government, while telling the people that it's helping fight this cancer, is actually helping perpetuate this is extremely disappointing.
Mr. Deibert has obviously done a huge amount of research and it shows. His historical account of the Drug War in the beginning of this book is extensive and informative.
Dying for the Truth by Blog del Narco was a gruesome journey into this horrific happening, at least pictorially. This is just as horrific, without the pics.
Thank you for this eye-opening book on a terrible tragedy happening just across the border, Mr. Deibert

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Knowing about the violence in Mexico, I am still disturbed by the facts presented in this book. So sad that the USA is so complicit in perpetuating this and hope that brave people like Michael Diebert will continue to bring these circumstances to light.

[liobardo train · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight

Great book with lots of knowledge. Recommended for anyone who wants to know about the gulf cartel and los zetas

[Matt Baggett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does a superb job of stating the grim facts of the drug trade in Mexico. However, his understanding of the root cause of the troubles is off base and he draws the wrong conclusions.