Evenings fell quickly on Guadalupe Island.
Most of the residents in the neighborhood named after the Mexican independence hero Morelos were from the lower class.
Their main sources of livelihood were odd jobs or going out to sea to fish.
But due to battles between drug traffickers and the police, factories had closed, ports were at standstill, and even the only two schools had suspended classes.
"Ugh, really sick of those damn police. Why do they have to fight drugs? Wouldn't it be better to live in peace with the drug traffickers?"
"Yeah, my dad could make some money following them, and just one trip to the United States could earn 50 US dollars, plus he could buy me lots of toys, but now these cops have messed it all up."
"Heard the drug traffickers are recruiting to fight against the cops, 300 pesos a day, are you in or not?"
A few teenagers sitting under a big tree were grumbling to each other.