Criminal cops have long been a baleful fact of life in Latin America. But in the '90s, so many cops have become so blatantly criminal that they are prime movers in the violent-crime explosion that is the continent's most malignant reality today. 30 murders per 1,000 people, or six times the global average. Less well known is the appalling contribution of rogue police. Arizmendi allegedly sends victims' severed ears to relatives as a way to ensure cooperation.
Bad cops are a deadly threat to good ones.
A former state police commander in Mexico's Tijuana state says he quit two years ago when he realized that narco cops under his command had killed an honest colleague, detective Rafael Gomez. Click for more options or for help .