According to officials, in 2010 black tar heroin from Mexico accounted for two thirds of the heroin market in the United States.

Source:  Sam Quinones, “A lethal business model targets Middle America,” Los Angeles Times, February 14, 2010.

Cannabis cultivation in Mexico was nearly 30,000 acres in 2009, an increase of 35 percent from the previous year.

Source: “Marijuana cultivation up in Mexico in 2009 – US,” Reuters, March 1, 2010.

The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report published by the US State Department reported that 36,332 people were arrested in Mexico in 2009 in part of the ongoing anti-drug trafficking campaign.

Source: “Marijuana cultivation up in Mexico in 2009 – US,” Reuters, March 1, 2010.

The US Department of State reported that in 2009, Bolivia’s cultivation of coca increased by 10 percent over the previous year.

The potential production of cocaine in the country increased to 195 tons, an increase of 50 percent from the 130 tons in 2007.

Source:  AFP, “Mexican drug lords face ‘existential threat,’ US says,” Yahoo News, March 1, 2010.

In 2009, Mexican cartels planted tens of thousands of marijuana plants on public lands in the United States, leading to a potential yield of 30 tons.

Source:  Associated Press, “AP IMPACT: Drug Gangs Taking Over US Public Lands,” CBS News, March 2, 2010.

In 2009, there were 2,899 murders in Medellin, Colombia, doubled the murder total in 2008.  The increase is directly attributed to  fighting between the estimated 150 to 300 drug gangs over territory in the region.

Source:  Nadja Drost, “In Medellín, a Disturbing Comeback of Crime,” Time, February 22, 2010.

According to the United Nations, in 2008 South America had 167,600 hectares devoted to cocaine production, a decrease of 8 percent of 2007.

The cultivation area of Colombia accounted for 430 tons of cocaine, or 48.3 percent of the total amount cultivated in South America. Peru accounted for 302 tons, or 33.5 percent of the total amount.

Source: “Peru may overtake Colombia in cocaine output: U.N.,” Reuters, February 23, 2010.

In 2009, 480 illegal immigrants from countries in Asia and Africa were arrested in Colombia as the country became a staging area for human smugglers on their way into the United States.

Source:  Sibylla Brodzinsky, “Colombia becomes new hub for human smuggling into US,” Christian Science Monitor, February 22, 2010.

Up to 200,000 residents of Mexican city Ciudad Juarez has left the city during within a 18 month period due to dangers and fears of the ongoing drug war.

Source: Julian Cardona, “Mexicans flee drug war city in fear of killings,” Reuters, February 18, 2010.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico reports that people in Mexico purchase counterfeit goods worth $75 Billion a year.

Source:  Jason Beaubien, “Pirated Goods Pose Huge Problems In Mexico,” NPR, February 16, 2010.