ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of the Mexican drug war

Well kiddo, the Mexican drug war is a very complicated thing that happened over many years. It all started back in the 1980s when drug cartels, which are groups of people who make and sell illegal drugs, started to become more powerful in Mexico. These cartels would often fight each other for territory and power.

But things started to get really bad in 2006, when the Mexican government decided to crack down on drug trafficking. They sent soldiers and police to areas where the cartels operated, in an effort to stop them. But the cartels didn't like this very much, so they started fighting back against the government.

This led to a lot of violence and bloodshed. The cartels would often kill each other and innocent people to try and show the government that they were in charge. The government would also kill or arrest many people who were involved with the cartels.

Over the years, the violence continued to escalate. More and more people were being killed, and the cartels were becoming even more powerful. The government tried many different things to stop the violence, but nothing seemed to work.

Today, the drug war in Mexico is still going on. It's a very sad thing that has affected a lot of people's lives. But there are still people who are working hard to try and solve the problem and make things better for everyone.