“Someway, somehow, everybody has gotten corrupted,” says a Mexican man in Cartel Land, a black bandana hiding his face. “It’s just a never-ending story.” And it’s a never-ending story that’s inextricably linked to another—the “war on drugs,” which continues to be waged, even as, in places like Oregon, we take baby steps toward something a little more sane.
Matthew Heineman’s strikingly shot documentary hops back and forth over the border: In Mexico, we spend time with the Autodefensas, a group of gun-toting vigilantes intent on protecting Mexican towns from powerful drug cartels. And in Arizona, we spend time with the Arizona Border Recon, a group of gun-toting vigilantes intent on… well, they’re definitely intent on keeping Mexicans out of Arizona. Also maybe they want to fight cartels, somehow? Also sometimes they mumble racist stuff. Needless to say, the Arizona Border Recon—dressed up in military surplus, play-acting at being soldiers—are moderately terrifying. But so, it turns out, are the t-shirt-clad Autodefensas, who might not be as free of corruption as they claim.
