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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

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.

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By Madeleine Brand • May 31, 2019 • 1 min read

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.

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    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

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    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

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    Line Editor, Press Play

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    Producer, 'Press Play'

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    Kate Linthicum

    foreign correspondent for the LA Times

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