It
is a place at once thought of for its destitution, crime, and poverty –
where a bitter conflict has claimed the lives of more than 35,000
Mexicans.
Photographer David Rochkind captures Mexico’s seedy drug trade in a brutally humanistic light in a series of images collected in his book, ‘Heavy Hand, Sunken Spirit.’
His
photographs capture a rugged landscape thrown into a vicious war on the
trade, and the people who have been affected by or succumbed to the
overwhelming influence of the drug trade.
Mr
Rochkind, who graduated from the University of Michigan and is
currently based out of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, traveled to Mexico
beginning in 2007 to photograph the series, shooting cartel members,
addicts, inmates, and communities torn apart by the drug war.
These images are only a small sampling of the collection or reportage appearing in his book.Scroll down for video
Destitution: Photographer David Rochkind has
captured a series of poignant images of Mexico's devastating drug
culture; here, a young girl walks by a caravan of police vehicles during
a security sweep looking for criminals and drug dealers
Darkest before dawn: Police in Nogales perform a
security sweep in the poor neighborhoods of the city looking for drug
dealers and drug users
The only thing that matters: Here, a woman shoots heroin in front of her lover and a baby they are supposed to be caring for
Behind bars: A man arrested for drug possession stands in his jail cell in a small prison high in the hills of Nogales, Sonora
VIDEO Violence is part of daily life. Police shootout with drug cartel in Ciudad Juarez
Lift thine eyes: Men pray at an evangelical
church in Tijuana. Many churches in Tijuana are reporting increased
membership as citizens seek refuge from all of the violence around them
Belly of the beast: Ciudad Juraez is at the
center of Mexico's violence, with more than 5,000 drug related murders
over the past two years. President Felipe Calderon has sent thousands of
soldiers to the city to try to stem the violence, though after a short
decrease in murders the violence blossomed once again. Here, soldiers
search young men for drugs, weapons or signs of drug use
Telling the story: Members of a Norteño band sit
in their tour bus after giving a show in Mexico City. Many Norteño
groups sing corridos, or ballads, that tell a story
Long day's journey into night: Central American
migrants ride atop a freight train carrying cement as they head north in
an attempt to enter the US. Traveling by train has become more
dangerous as kidnappings and robberies have risen in recent years with
increased drug cartel activity