A hardened criminal from the streets of Memphis. One of the biggest drug cartels in Mexico. The corruption, cash, and demand for drugs that fuels an illegal, deadly trade -- and the consequences, for Mexicans and Americans alike.
Blood Trade: Memphis and the Mexican Drug War
Published June 27, 2010
Imagine a violent Mexican drug cartel that's paying massive bribes to everybody, including the country's top anti-drug official. Now imagine that the cartel relies heavily on a man from a tough neighborhood in Memphis to stay rich enough to pay those bribes.
That's the story of Craig Petties, who authorities say lived in Mexico for years and played a crucial role as wholesaler for the Beltran Leyva cartel, shipping tons of cocaine and marijuana to Tennessee and other states.
It's a tale of what happens when the misery of America's inner cities collides with the poverty and weak institutions of the developing world. His story shows that when Americans buy illegal drugs — even a small amount of seemingly harmless marijuana — they're likely contributing to the corrosive river of drug money flowing south.
In the first installment of this reporting project published on June 27, 2010 in The Commercial Appeal, Daniel Connolly explores the city of Memphis' connection to the international drug trade. On July 4, 2010, The Commercial Appeal will publish the second installment, which will focus on Mexico's role in the drug war.
Explore the full multimedia presentation at The Commercial Appeal.
The money that drug users spend in your community may be helping Mexican cartels pay their employees, bribe officials, buy weapons, and hire people to torture and kill rivals.
Daniel Connolly has received an honorable mention in the APME International Perspective contest for his Pulitzer Center-supported series "Blood Trade."
Grantee
Daniel Connolly is a staff reporter for The Commercial Appeal, the leading daily newspaper in Memphis.
A Memphis native, Connolly was a Fulbright fellow in Germany in 2001-2002 and completed...
