Summary
Highlights
Tijuana, just over the US border, is a city plagued by illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and rampant crime. It's also home to Mexico's biggest red-light district. Anyone committing a crime here faces La Mesa, a notorious prison striking fear into Mexicans and making American inmates feel like scum. Governed by one man with an iron fist, it houses cold-blooded killers and is known for its history of riots and rebellions.
At 6:30 AM, Commanding Officer Mario Antonio Meza Flores begins his shift, responsible for security in this prison, located in downtown Tijuana, a city heavily influenced by drug cartels. Every staff member undergoes strict security checks to prevent contraband. Guards patrol and raid cells, searching for weapons, drugs, and tobacco. The prison separates inmates by crime, risk, age, and gender, with Block 6 housing the most dangerous cartel killers and serial murderers. Commander Flores inspects Block 1 daily, where 20 new prisoners arrive, to gauge the mood, identify potential gangs, and plan raids.
Cells in Block 1 house 8-10 criminals in a 4x4.5 meter space, with minimal belongings. Abraham Chaves Orozco, 22, serving five years for drug trafficking, describes the unhygienic conditions, bad food, and heat. His family hopes to transfer him, but many inmates, especially Americans like Taylor Elliott Howard, have lost hope. Taylor, an American combat veteran accused of car theft, faces nine years in La Mesa, sharing a cell with six other Americans. They are isolated due to high risk of altercations. Inmates like Taylor get only two hours of sun a week, spending almost their entire sentence in cramped cells. He notes that nine people on his tier alone have died from lack of medical attention.
Director Cesar Daniel Ramirez Acevedo, in charge since 2014, maintains 100% control over La Mesa, a prison located in a city where 85% of murders are drug-related. Inmates are allowed outside early each morning, a high-alert moment for guards due to the risk of attacks. Cells are opened one by one, with inmates released to specific courtyards for two hours of sun per week, keeping them isolated to minimize illegal trading and violence. This strict system was implemented after a catastrophic riot in 2008, which resulted in 21 deaths, prompting external security measures, including attack dogs and firearms.
Commander Flores inspects Section 6, the high-security block for 450 dangerous inmates, mainly cartel ringleaders. Francisco Javier Villa Padilla, a notorious cartel killer serving time for killing police officers and hanging their bodies from a bridge, reflects on his past life as a hitman for the Sinaloa cartel. He now notes the poor food quality, contrasting it with his previous life of wealth. Prison staff, along with low-risk inmates, prepare 3,000 meals and distribute 20 liters of water per cell daily.
American inmates in Block 1 struggle with isolation and a severe language barrier, as almost no one in the prison speaks English. Taylor describes the prison as a 'shithole' compared to American jails, emphasizing the lack of basic amenities and medical attention, which he believes has led to multiple deaths on his tier. Inmates rely on God and hope to survive their sentences unscathed.
Weekends bring visiting hours, with around 500 relatives permitted to enter, bringing clothes, hygiene products, and money. Abraham’s mother, Erika, visits from hours away, seeking to relocate her son to a more lenient prison. Director Acevedo strictly limits visiting hours to prevent smuggling of drugs, tobacco, or other prohibited items, recognizing it as a 'huge challenge' to maintain security among prisoners who continue to exercise and prepare for potential conflict.
In high-security Block 6, two inmates at a time use cell space to keep fit, preparing for their two hours in the yard, where they only get brief contact with the outside world. Guards remain vigilant, conducting physical searches to prevent stabbings and gang warfare. The guards don't enter the section 6 yard, emphasizing the danger. Until 2002, La Mesa was known as 'El Pueblito' ('The little village'), a prison with minimal guards and internal rule by drug barons, offering services like shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, but also rampant drug dealing and violence. Dolores Sanchez, imprisoned since 1999 for kidnapping, remembers this era, noting the lack of rules but also the complete absence of drugs, alcohol, and corruption now, making it safer and more structured.
La Mesa operates shops in its yards, selling instant soups, snacks, and basic necessities like toilet paper, which inmates must buy. Affluent prisoners can also purchase fresh food prepared in the men's kitchen. Inmates pay using fingerprints, with the prison acting as a bank that can freeze accounts. Inmate Gisell Vargos Guerrero works as a sales clerk, risking banishment to isolation cells for any missing items. Commander Flores inspects these grim isolation cells, where inmates breaking rules face weeks or months of solitary confinement, without electricity, fresh air, or even toilet paper.
Inmates in isolation come from Block 6, comprising cartel killers and serial murderers. Director Acevedo assesses their risk status, noting that rivalries and fights are common among these 'alpha males,' mirroring the street violence of Tijuana. Cartel hitman Francisco shares his cell with rival gang members, gradually accepting his fate. He worries about his family, especially his sons, whom he fears may have become criminals. Abraham holds onto hope for relocation or early release, observing the growing impatience of long-term inmates. Taylor, the American, has lost hope, emphasizing that money is essential for communication and basic hygiene items as they are not provided.
As free time ends and inmates return to their cells, Commander Flores initiates a raid on Cell 11/11, suspecting homemade weapons. Guards search for hidden shivs, wires, and other makeshift weapons. They find homemade weights and a heater, both banned items. The prisoners receive a warning, TV or yard time removal, or in the worst case, isolation. As another day ends, Abraham hopes for release, Taylor strives to stay strong, and Giselle plans for a new life after her release. Dolores faces 15 more years, while Francisco, the cartel hitman, questions if he ever truly wants to be free, fearing the fate of his deceased former colleagues. Director Acevedo remains proud of the transformed prison, now characterized by strict control and security, having moved past its chaotic 'little village' days.