A Recent Look at U.S. Prisoners in Mexican Border Prisons

There is little analysis of the impact of the United States on Mexican prisons. This research examines the presence of United States citizens and the “War on Drugs” in Tamaulipas, Mexico, prisons. There has been a marked increase in the number of U.S. citizens, and prisoners, in general, in Tamaulipas prisons in the last three years (90% of these are incarcerated for drug trafficking). This increase is attributed to Mexican President Salinas' active support for the “War on Drugs” and success in capturing narcotics traffickers. This has led to overcrowding in Tamaulipas border prisons, in comparison with Victoria located in the interior. We also interviewed U.S. prisoners located in Reynosa State prison. The majority indicated abuse at the hands of Federal Judicial Police while arrested, and were planning to transfer out of Mexico through the Mexican-U.S. treaty exchange.