The Mexican drug trade has inspired prejudiced narratives of a war between north and south， white and brown， between noble cops and vicious kingpins， corrupt politicians and powerful cartels。 In The Dope， Benjamin T。 Smith draws on unprecedented archival research; leaked DEA， Mexican law enforcement， and cartel documents; and dozens of harrowing interviews to tell the real story of how and why this one-peaceful industry turned violent， interrogate the US-backed policies that inflamed the carnage， and explore corruption on both sides of the border。


Vivid characters—from Ignacia “La Nacha” Jasso， “queen-pin” of Juarez， to Harry Anslinger， founder of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics—propel this thrilling history， which reveals the human cost of the trade。 A dark morality tale about the American hunger for intoxication and the necessities of human survival， The Dope is essential for understanding drug war violence and how decades-old myths shape Mexico in the American imagination today。