The number of murders in the city which has become a battleground in Mexico’s drug war has just surpassed 1,900 for 2009. Juarez saw 1,600 murders in all of 2008.

Most of the violence can be attributed to the ongoing struggle between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels for the control of smuggling routes into the U.S.

Unfortunately, many police officers, soldiers, journalists, and bystanders have fallen victim to the cartel violence as well.

On Sunday, the decapitated body of a woman was found at a Juarez intersection. Her head had been placed in a plastic bag beside her body. The woman was later identified as 38-year-old Claudia Garcia Martinez.

Martinez was one of 100 women and young girls to be killed in Juarez this year alone.

In addition to the murders being fueled by an ongoing war between the Juarez and Sinoloa Cartels, thousands of kidnappings have occurred in and around Juarez over the last two years. Also, bank robberies and carjackings have now become an everyday occurrence in the city. In short, chaos reigns.

On Jan. 16, 2009, the El Paso Times offered a very interesting opinion poll on their website. The poll asked the question "With violence raging in Juarez, is vigilantism the answer?" What follows are the results of that poll after a total of 2,547 respondents:

"Yes, nothing else has worked, and it´s time for the people to take matters into their own hands."…59%

"I´m not sure, but at this point, it´s probably worth a try."…29%

"No, innocent people could get hurt."…16%

While the results may be a bit shocking to some, it speaks to the fear and frustration that people are feeling with so much violence taking place just on the other side of the border. Many Juarez residents, including a great number of police officers have come to El Paso seeking refuge from the cartels.

The drug cartels which now control Mexico and operate in 231 U.S. cities, represent a clear and present danger to every citizen of both countries. None of us can afford to ignore this issue any longer.