0:00:02 > 0:00:07This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting
0:00:14 > 0:00:16They say to understand a person,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18you have to walk a mile in their shoes.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23So that's exactly what I'm going to do.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I'm joining the Mexican army
0:00:25 > 0:00:28to fight on the front line of the war on drugs.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Any sort of mental picture I have of Acapulco is the glory days,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40those pictures of Hollywood stars coming here in the '50s, I guess.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Things are very different in Acapulco now.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I'm hoping these guys will help me understand exactly what's changed.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Mexico is at war with itself.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55The country is being torn apart
0:00:55 > 0:00:59by cartels fighting over the 30 billion drug trade.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Acapulco was once a glamorous holiday paradise.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Now it's the fourth most violent city in the world.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15A place where 1,000 people were murdered last year alone.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Now the army has been deployed on the streets.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22The latest desperate response
0:01:22 > 0:01:24to a war that is spiralling out of control.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34For one week, I'll be living and working alongside them,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37finding out what it's like to be a young Mexican soldier.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Fighting in a war where you don't know who your enemy is
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and you don't know who to trust.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11I'm enrolling in Unit 27
0:02:11 > 0:02:15of the 56th Infantry Battalion in Acapulco
0:02:15 > 0:02:18for what is traditionally the biggest week of the year,
0:02:18 > 0:02:19the Easter holidays.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29SHOUTED ORDERS
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I think that was for me to learn it.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Hello.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48There's normally 1,500 soldiers here, but for this week,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53the government has sent in an extra 2,500 men to try and help out
0:02:53 > 0:02:56the struggling police force.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58HE SHOUTS ORDERS
0:03:13 > 0:03:17This is me. This is you. The one with nothing in it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21OK.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23'I've been assigned one of the only English speakers,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27'a 20-year-old private called Luis, as a guide and translator.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Toothbrush, toothpaste, gel.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- Anything you need. - So everything has a space.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I can't put my personal things there, I can't put my vest there.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Everything has...
0:03:38 > 0:03:40What is it like living with this much order?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43You have to wear your shirt a certain way, wear your sleeves
0:03:43 > 0:03:45a certain way, hang your clothes a certain way.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Luis has been with the army for 18 months,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07one of thousands of ordinary young Mexicans
0:04:07 > 0:04:12who were signed up to try and help end the cycle of bloodshed.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18MEXICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The first duty of the day is roll call.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25With no training, I feel totally out of my depth.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28MEN SING NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:04:44 > 0:04:48So we are overlooking Acapulco beach.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52When you're here on service, do you ever go down there to the beach?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54With a helmet on in the summer?!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00What on earth are you walking on the beach for?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04You're walking on the beach for turtles?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07There's got to be something else.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10You're not carrying bulletproof vests for turtles?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Why is it so dangerous? Because of the turtles?
0:05:15 > 0:05:16On the beach?
0:05:17 > 0:05:19What are they doing on the beach?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Isn't that where...?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25SHOUTED ORDERS
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I've never handled a rifle before
0:05:43 > 0:05:46but with 18,000 murders in Mexico last year alone...
0:05:48 > 0:05:50..the army has insisted that I get some weapons training.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58OK.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26Have you ever been in a shoot-out?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31How old were you when this happened? Your first time?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Right, and people were shooting at you?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Who was shooting at you?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Were they the main threat here?
0:06:40 > 0:06:42And they're not afraid to shoot you guys.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Is that all he said?
0:06:56 > 0:06:57OK.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Sorry.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I've been told after lunch, our unit will be carrying out an armed patrol
0:07:05 > 0:07:07on Acapulco's main tourist beach.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13So why exactly do you have to patrol somewhere like the beach?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15You mentioned that, you know,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20at points you have to patrol the beaches in your full gear.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30What makes Acapulco so dangerous?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36You can't talk to me about it? What do you mean?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I need to know if I'm going to be out there with you!
0:07:50 > 0:07:54'It's astonishing to be told there's nothing to worry about in Acapulco.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58'According to the papers, it's the deadliest city in Mexico.'
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I've been told that it's not dangerous here,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13that it's safe, but there's about 30 of us
0:08:13 > 0:08:18and we're all wearing bulletproof vests. Everyone has got a gun.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26It can't be that safe if everybody is this armed, this protected.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Technically, I guess I'm on my first mission.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46I'm heading down to the beach. I do know it's busy,
0:08:46 > 0:08:47it's the Easter holiday weekend,
0:08:47 > 0:08:53it's the busiest time here in Acapulco and it's also, I imagine,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57the perfect time to kick up some trouble if you want,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59which is probably why these guys are here.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22A sea of green has departed from these cars and you've got
0:09:22 > 0:09:27loads of residents, loads of holiday-makers just stood staring.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37Luis and his fellow soldiers patrol the main beaches five times a day.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39They are ordinary Mexicans carrying guns
0:09:39 > 0:09:42as a show of force against their fellow countrymen.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Is that gun on safety? Cos you keep hitting me with it.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52I don't want any accidents.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09In years gone by, Acapulco would have entertained 350,000 overseas
0:10:09 > 0:10:13tourists a year. Today, there's barely a foreigner in sight.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19It feels like everybody that we are passing on this beach is Mexican.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I'm not really hearing any other accents.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25What sort of tourists are you getting here now?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Right, so they are all Mexican?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Why aren't there any international tourists any more?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41There's clearly not a lot here right now, so why are there a lot less?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'I'm not going to get very far talking to Luis.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50'It's obvious he isn't authorised to talk about certain subjects.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Is it possible for me to talk to any of the tourists?
0:10:56 > 0:11:00OK, let me ask some of these guys over here.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04These young guys, let's see what they have to say.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Hola. Hello, guys.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10I was under the impression that this is a massive holiday
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and this time of year gets very busy,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16but it seems as if all of the tourists here are Mexican.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Why do you think there aren't any international tourists here?
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Do you not think that there is a big problem with cartels and narcos?
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Enjoy the sun. I'm very jealous of you right now.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Enjoy your holiday.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53From what the locals have said,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57the recent trouble in Acapulco is putting off international tourists.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00My fear is that the army have only allowed me to be here as part of
0:12:00 > 0:12:02a wider campaign to win them back.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16I can't get Luis to give me
0:12:16 > 0:12:19any specific details about the cartel violence,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23but on more personal subjects, he seems willing to open up.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26How about the guys you grew up with?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Were any of them drawn into the cartels?
0:12:38 > 0:12:41One of them has already died? He's the same age as you. You're only 20.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43This kid the same age?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50So what is it that would make a young man want to join the cartel?
0:12:58 > 0:13:02So what was it that made you go for the military over the cartels, then?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I'd always imagined that the people who join the cartels
0:13:17 > 0:13:19were just...the bad guys,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23but Luis actually know some of the people who ended up joining them
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and I can't imagine what it's like
0:13:25 > 0:13:28to have to fight against people you grew up with.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30You can take everything off now.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40I don't remember the last time
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I was this physically flipping knackered.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46For whatever reason, I can't find a flipping brush.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48I've got to clean my boots.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52I'm having to borrow one.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Like a right novice.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Trying to get some of the sand off it first.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30The sergeant walked around and was telling us to wake up,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and at that point, we sort of stared a little bit,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35then the lights came on.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38You had no choice but to get up.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Is it always this early when you guys get up?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Sometimes you don't sleep? Why would you go without sleep?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- Patrolling.- Patrolling?
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Do you not feel like you're missing out at all?
0:15:28 > 0:15:32If you feel you're missing out on so much, what keeps you here?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Life here is strictly disciplined -
0:15:44 > 0:15:47a daily routine of patrols and a gruelling fitness regime.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50MEN SHOUT
0:15:57 > 0:16:01The first duty of the day is a 5K run around the barracks.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03It's 35 degrees.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I run 5K at home.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20But that, this heat... Boy!
0:16:20 > 0:16:23I have never...
0:16:23 > 0:16:24That is something else.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32There's no time to recover before we head out again.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Looks like we are all leaving.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Everybody has suddenly jumped back in.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46All clipped up, so I guess I should follow suit.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59We're travelling into Colonia Jardin Mangos,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01one of Acapulco's poorest suburbs.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08The barrio has a reputation of being a cartel stronghold.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Once a normal neighbourhood,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14it is now entirely controlled by powerful criminals.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Speaking to the Major, it feels like
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I'm still being given the army's official line.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I've been told off-camera
0:17:44 > 0:17:47there were nine drug-related murders in Acapulco yesterday.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The majority in areas just like this.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57In a situation like this, how do you tell
0:17:57 > 0:17:59if somebody is up to mischief
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and how do you tell that somebody is just a local?
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Nobody is acting particularly erratically.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15What are the giveaways?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'These streets feel like a very different proposition
0:18:31 > 0:18:32'to the tourist zone.'
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'You don't know who's an ordinary resident
0:18:39 > 0:18:41'and who's a cartel foot soldier.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:45'Even with these heavily armed soldiers,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'it feels like we could be ambushed at any minute.'
0:19:08 > 0:19:10What are you looking for here?
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Was anybody kidnapped?
0:19:21 > 0:19:23These bits of the barrio,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I take it, are the bits that are dangerous, right?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The minute we went into that quiet little road
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and you could see the dark corners,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53even in the midday sun,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57you could see where things could go wrong.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Where someone could jump out with a gun, where someone could attack you.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04The minute those places became obvious,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08sadly I started to see how an seemingly quiet barrio
0:20:08 > 0:20:11could become quite a dangerous place.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17We didn't come under fire today
0:20:17 > 0:20:19or even see the cartel but I'm getting a sense of
0:20:19 > 0:20:22the sort of pressure these soldiers have to work under.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Do you feel like you're in danger?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31When do you feel like you're in danger, if it's not all the time?
0:20:35 > 0:20:36Has anyone in your unit died?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46How did they react to that?
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Why not?
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'He may not have witnessed the death of a fellow soldier, but Luis knows
0:21:04 > 0:21:07'only too well the consequences of living in a country
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'so consumed by violence.'
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- And everyone knows who the guy is? - Yep.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48How do you feel about losing a family member in the line of duty?
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- Your grandfather was an officer, right?- Yep.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I'm sorry to hear about your grandpa. It's difficult.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17To only have a couple of days to get over it, it's pretty tough.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22For him to lose his grandfather on the job
0:22:22 > 0:22:25is probably a massive reality check
0:22:25 > 0:22:28because, you know, his grandfather was a police officer and, in theory,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30his job is even more dangerous.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36You know, I was 14 when my grandfather passed away
0:22:36 > 0:22:40but, you know, he died of something fairly natural.
0:22:40 > 0:22:46For a guy at 20 to lose his grandfather to a criminal
0:22:46 > 0:22:50on the streets of the city that you live in and patrol...
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I don't know how that would make me feel about coming back to work.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The army is telling me it is safe here.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01But I want to find out for myself the reality of the dangers
0:23:01 > 0:23:02young soldiers like Luis are facing.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Hopefully I can now finally get some answers.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16I've been summoned to meet the general at his office.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21Hi. Reggie.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- Pleasure to meet you.- How are you? - Very good, thank you.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Thank you so much for finding the time to meet me.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31So, firstly,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35I really, really desperately want to understand why the military are here
0:23:35 > 0:23:37in Acapulco.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47Why do you think that the police
0:23:47 > 0:23:50haven't been able to get control of the situation?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06So just how dangerous are the cartels
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and how powerful is organised crime here?
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I don't know if that's really answered the question again.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Let's move on, let's move on. OK.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So do you think that the locals feel as safe as the tourists?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Pleasure to meet you.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Thank you very much. Adios.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15That was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20I guess what's really important here is maintaining a level of...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25..front isn't the right word, but presence, you know.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28There is a version that they are desperate to present to the world
0:25:28 > 0:25:32which is that everything is under control.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I don't know, man.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38How I leave this place and what I leave Mexico with
0:25:38 > 0:25:39is going to have to come down to
0:25:39 > 0:25:41what I see and what I figure out for myself.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Our unit has been given the afternoon off
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and I want to use it to get some answers elsewhere
0:25:55 > 0:26:00to work out just how safe the area Luis patrols really is.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11After buying a local newspaper,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I've come to a beach frequented by residents,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16five minutes from the main tourist zone
0:26:16 > 0:26:21where three of yesterday's nine murders took place.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Yeah, it would make sense that it was there.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26The picture shows him laid out by a wall.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29There's candles burning just over here.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33It was right there.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Look. That's exactly it. Right there.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39They haven't even managed to clean all the blood away. Still there!
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And everything carries on exactly as normal just a day after.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Look at that. There's kids playing right there.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Yesterday I was with the army
0:26:57 > 0:27:00patrolling the beach all of five minutes' walk
0:27:00 > 0:27:01in that direction.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04The beach was quite clearly a tourist beach,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07whereas this beach that I'm at at the moment
0:27:07 > 0:27:09is pretty much just local people.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12The reason that I'm here
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and the reason that I'm absolutely flabbergasted
0:27:15 > 0:27:18at what has gone on here is that three people were shot yesterday.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21A 15-year-old, a 25-year-old and a man who was 54.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26Right here. 20 minutes after I left that beach just over there,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29with the military yesterday.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31There are pictures of where I'm sat right now.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Literally right here. This is here.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40It's not taken long to find shocking evidence, but are these deaths
0:27:40 > 0:27:42confined to criminals,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45or are ordinarily people being caught up in the violence, too?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Do you work here all the time? Was you working here yesterday?
0:27:50 > 0:27:51I read in the newspaper that
0:27:51 > 0:27:54there was something that happened here yesterday.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04All right. Gracias.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Many of the locals are scared of talking.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But one resident businesswoman
0:28:10 > 0:28:12has agreed to meet me at a secret location.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Nice to meet you. - Gracias.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Why did your shop close?
0:29:00 > 0:29:03These people that have been killed, are they local tourists?
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Are they cartel members? Are they shop owners? Who is getting killed?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30It's clear that the fallout from this war
0:29:30 > 0:29:32spreads way beyond rival cartels,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35affecting almost every part of Mexican society.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Police, government officials
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and even the security services in some areas
0:29:42 > 0:29:44have been accused of corruption.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48The tourists themselves might not be targets,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50but with so much violence in the city,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54can Luis and his fellow soldiers really keep them safe?
0:29:58 > 0:30:00'I've managed to track down Carlos,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04'a local photographer, at his office on the main tourist strip.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06'He's been following the recent escalation in violence.'
0:30:06 > 0:30:08This is nice.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21So if it is assassinations that you are taking pictures of,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23is this happening out in the open?
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Anywhere? So even on one of the main beaches here
0:30:40 > 0:30:42where all the tourists go to?
0:30:47 > 0:30:50'Carlos offers to show me some pictures he's taken recently.'
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Oh, my God!
0:31:09 > 0:31:11And is that on the main beach that's here?
0:31:13 > 0:31:15The photographic evidence is shocking.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18People have been killed all over the city.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21Since the army were first deployed here five months ago,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24there have been 29 murders on the city's beaches.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Tourism is the lifeblood of the economy here.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12It provides 70% of Guerrero State's GDP,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15so it's understandable why the army have been deployed here,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19and it seems, alongside deterrence, part of the role it plays
0:32:19 > 0:32:22is to present an image of a safe city to the outside world.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27This is the bit of Acapulco that the government care about,
0:32:27 > 0:32:28the police care about,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32the military care about, and people are being killed right here.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36To be fair to them, it's not like they are not doing anything.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38They are definitely working their socks off.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40I have joined in. They're patrolling the beaches,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42they are up and down this main strip all day,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44even going into the barrios.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46I've seen it myself, so they are doing something,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48they are making a difference,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52but people are still being killed even here, so...
0:32:52 > 0:32:54I don't know.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55Is it enough?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13I'm halfway through my time with the army,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15but today we're leaving Acapulco.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20It looks like everybody has packed a massive backpack
0:33:20 > 0:33:23with what looks like tents on it.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25This could be a very long day.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37The army's mission here is to tackle the war on drugs
0:33:37 > 0:33:39at both ends of the supply chain.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Fighting the cartels in the city
0:33:41 > 0:33:43and going after the drug production itself.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Late for my briefing.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53So far the army haven't exactly been forthcoming about the violence,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56but I'm trying to keep an open mind
0:33:56 > 0:33:59about what they're going to show me.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08We're heading eight hours north-west of Acapulco into the mountains,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11where the cartels use intimidation and violence
0:34:11 > 0:34:13to force farmers to grow vast fields of poppies
0:34:13 > 0:34:15used to produce to heroin.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Just another example of how ordinary people
0:34:23 > 0:34:26have been sucked into the drug trade.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31What are the dangers here?
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Get shot at. OK. Anything else?
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Is it is common for farmers
0:34:45 > 0:34:48to organise themselves to shoot at soldiers?
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- Really? Even though you are trained and they are not?- Yes.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06The Aguero Mountains
0:35:06 > 0:35:10is where 40% of all heroin supplied to America is produced.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15It's an industry worth ten billion US dollars.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37We're heading to a temporary army base deep in the mountains.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Up here, the military simply isn't welcome.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43In these remote locations,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46agriculture is the only source of income,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49so many of the local farmers are dependent on growing poppies.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04What do hawks do?
0:36:19 > 0:36:22'It must be strange for young men like Luis,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'a soldier fighting a war against his own countrymen,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28'never knowing who the enemy actually is.'
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Everybody that passes by, I'm looking at their backpacks,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36I'm looking at their bags, thinking, "What are they carrying down?"
0:36:40 > 0:36:42There's quite a lot of people
0:36:42 > 0:36:44passing by in the opposite direction.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46HE TRANSLATES INTO SPANISH
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Is there any reason we're not stopping them?
0:37:12 > 0:37:15It's hard to even see what direction the road is going in next.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29For some reason there's a random van just parked up here in the dark.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33There doesn't seem to be anyone in it, but as it is dark,
0:37:33 > 0:37:37I think we should leave it rather than check it and keep going.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39It does look pretty suspect.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Suddenly we've got electricity poles again.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03We're in the middle of nowhere and there's a whole village here.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06There seems to be a lot of lights and a lot of property.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11- They look wealthy?- Yep. - What's the giveaway?
0:38:18 > 0:38:21What are the chances the entire village is involved
0:38:21 > 0:38:23in the fields that we're going to destroy?
0:38:30 > 0:38:33- So we're here now.- Yes, we're here.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Yeah? Are we going to camp up?
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Yes.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41We're joining another battalion
0:38:41 > 0:38:43who have been here for the last two weeks.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Just pass it through.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55After setting up camp, Luis and I are assigned to night watch.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03So if something does kick off, what happens then?
0:39:17 > 0:39:21It's been a long day. How much does your tiredness play a part
0:39:21 > 0:39:22in something like this?
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Because we've been up since very early in the morning.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14I heard something.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28I think the thing that strikes me mostly
0:40:28 > 0:40:31is that they aren't really individuals.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Everything is about the team,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37everything is about the unit and nothing is about an individual.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42They were saying that if there were an attack,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44he'd send me back and he'd sacrifice himself
0:40:44 > 0:40:47trying to defend his brothers, the other soldiers.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52You know, after a day as long as this,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56and ahead of a night in this thing,
0:40:56 > 0:41:01um...I think I'm coming away... from a very long day...
0:41:03 > 0:41:05..with a slightly better picture
0:41:05 > 0:41:07of what it means to be part of this unit.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Once again the day begins before the sun is up.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36This looks like the stodgiest,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39heaviest breakfast in the world for a reason.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43I think the minute the sun is fully in the sky, we're going to set off.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47To get to the poppy fields,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49we have a long hike across rough terrain ahead.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10I'll come to your side.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19To avoid detection, the plantations are often grown
0:42:19 > 0:42:22in the most remote parts of the mountains.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24The army has used air reconnaissance
0:42:24 > 0:42:26to locate this poppy field in advance.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40He's just pointed out this piping.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43The guys who are actually responsible for the poppy field,
0:42:43 > 0:42:49they put piping in so they can consistently water and control
0:42:49 > 0:42:52the level of water going to their crop.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01Right, suddenly...
0:43:01 > 0:43:03suddenly we've stopped.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Which, to me, can mean only one thing.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09I guess we're here.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12- You see all those flowers?- Yeah.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16'We immediately find evidence
0:43:16 > 0:43:19'that the poppy growers have been here recently.'
0:43:19 > 0:43:21We've just found some bags of stuff.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35You can see beer cans and food and stuff.
0:43:35 > 0:43:36They've been hanging out here for a while.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Growing these plants is the first stage in heroin production.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58The farmers extract the natural gum
0:43:58 > 0:44:03to make into a paste which is refined and then turned into heroin
0:44:03 > 0:44:06with a street value of 130,000 per kilo.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11What is the white stuff?
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Wow! And that just comes out of this plant?
0:44:25 > 0:44:27And that's all they need?
0:44:28 > 0:44:31How much do they get out of each plant? Because that's not much.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33It's just a little bit.
0:44:43 > 0:44:48There are 17,000 hectares of opium poppy fields like this one
0:44:48 > 0:44:50across Mexico,
0:44:50 > 0:44:55making it the number one supplier of heroin to the United States.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58It's horrifying to think that a harmless looking plant like this
0:44:58 > 0:45:01can be the cause of so much bloodshed.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04And that boys like Luis have grown up in a country
0:45:04 > 0:45:07ravaged by violence because of it.
0:45:09 > 0:45:10Has anyone you know ever suffered
0:45:10 > 0:45:12from the product of a field like this?
0:45:17 > 0:45:18Friends of yours?
0:45:26 > 0:45:27If ever you needed motivation,
0:45:27 > 0:45:33I think having friends who are affected by this stuff is,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36you know, is going to drive you every morning
0:45:36 > 0:45:37when you get up at 5:30
0:45:37 > 0:45:40to get out here and sweat and work your arse off.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46This is without doubt feeding a hell of a lot of people.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48The village that we came through to get here
0:45:48 > 0:45:49didn't look particularly poor,
0:45:49 > 0:45:53but at the same time it is hurting a lot of people all over the world.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55So for someone like Luis,
0:45:55 > 0:45:59who feels like this is affecting his friends, his family,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02his area, I can understand why you'd be motivated.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10It takes us an entire day to clear just one field.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14I'm sure that this exercise has been, at least in part,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16for my benefit.
0:46:18 > 0:46:24Reports say the army has cleared 83,000 fields like this one.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26But heading back down the mountain,
0:46:26 > 0:46:29the sheer scale of the problem becomes apparent.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38It seems like every road we take, we spot another field on a mountain.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41They're everywhere.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47So that's one there. Is that one as well?
0:46:47 > 0:46:49That's two up there.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53That's just on this mountain.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56We've still got all of these to get through to get home.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03It's almost like they are building factories on every mountain.
0:47:12 > 0:47:13For every one that you take out,
0:47:13 > 0:47:17another five are being planted, so how can you keep up?
0:47:29 > 0:47:30HE SIGHS
0:47:30 > 0:47:32I want to go home.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47My time here has come to an end, and I say my goodbyes to a group
0:47:47 > 0:47:50of soldiers who are putting their lives on the line every day.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Bye-bye. Bye-bye, take care.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56'I can't help but feel the army has wanted to convince me
0:47:56 > 0:47:58'that Acapulco is a safe place,
0:47:58 > 0:48:01'safe enough for the tourists to come back.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03'But despite all their hard work,
0:48:03 > 0:48:09'there were at least 240 murders in the first four months of 2016.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11'So it's almost impossible to agree.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15'And that's just in Acapulco.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17'In the last decade, the cartel violence
0:48:17 > 0:48:22'has claimed the lives of over 100,000 people across the country.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25'And from what I've seen in the mountains,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29'stopping the supply looks like an unwinnable battle.'
0:48:29 > 0:48:31There is a real serious issue here
0:48:31 > 0:48:35and the people that have been brought in to fix things
0:48:35 > 0:48:37are definitely doing their job,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39but, through no fault of their own,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41I don't know if they're doing enough.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49You can hack down a poppy field one day, but if there are five
0:48:49 > 0:48:53being planted the next, are you just chasing your own tail?
0:49:02 > 0:49:04There are some serious problems here
0:49:04 > 0:49:07and I don't think they are on their way to being fixed
0:49:07 > 0:49:11and I don't see them being fixed any time soon, unfortunately.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21Hey.
0:49:21 > 0:49:22Gracias!
0:49:26 > 0:49:27Civilian!