Mexican civil war?

If you've been watching the news over the last few weeks, much attention has been placed on the drug wars throughout Mexico. One major city that has erupted into daily violence is Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican town across the US border from El Paso, Texas.

Drug traffickers have become much more defiant of police and government officials. The homicide rate hit a record level in 2008 and all indications are that this number may be exceeded this year.

Things have gotten so out of hand that, Roberto Orduna, Ciudad Juarez's police chief stepped down Friday after criminal gangs told him he either resigned or the gangs would kill an officer every 48 hours. After initially defying the request, Orduna obliged hours after gunmen killed a police officer and a jail guard and left signs on their bodies saying they had fulfilled a promise made.

The US State Department has issued a travel warning to all Americans traveling to Mexico.