Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Tijuana's next mayor could be a wheelchair-using gunslinger
The drug war has made Tijuana one of the deadliest cities in the world. That’s why analysts say that Julián Leyzaola has a good shot at winning Tijuana’s mayoral election this weekend.
The drug war has made Tijuana one of the deadliest cities in the world. That’s why analysts say that Julián Leyzaola has a good shot at winning Tijuana’s mayoral election this weekend. He’s a former soldier and police chief, and he’s very tough on crime. Leyzaola’s known for going head-to-head with drug traffickers, bragging about brutal interrogations, and being on the front line of shootouts. Four years ago, he was shot, and now he uses a wheelchair. He’s a hero to many Mexicans. Human rights advocates, however, call him the “torturer in chief” and accuse him of illegal detentions and extrajudicial killings.