Gangster — Mexican

At the Forensic Science Center in Nuevo León, rows of unidentified bodies lie on stainless steel trays. Most are young men with extensive tattoos: Santa Muerte, tear drops, the word "Humility." They died clutching cell phones and golden medallions.

"They all think they are Pablo Escobar," says a forensic technician who asked not to be named. "But most of them end up here, in a white bag, with no one to claim them. Their mothers are too scared to come to the morgue." mexican gangster

Visually, the modern Mexican gangster has abandoned the oversized suits of the Juárez Cartel in the '90s for tactical gear, cowboy boots, and religious iconography. The narco-corrido ballads playing on the radio tell the story: they are not criminals; they are warriors in a holy war against poverty. At the Forensic Science Center in Nuevo León,

The average recruit is 15 years old. He has a sixth-grade education. His father is either absent, dead, or working in a Chicago slaughterhouse. The local legitimate economy offers a wage of 60 pesos ($3 USD) a day. The cartel offers a salary of $500 a week, a gold-plated .45 caliber pistol, and the promise of respeto . "But most of them end up here, in