As Mexico’s epidemic of violence rages on, authorities seem powerless to stop it

Soldiers and national guard troops have been deployed throughout Mexico to combat crime gangs, but violence remains shockingly high, with more than 26,000 murders so far this year. Photograph: Joebeth Terríquez/EPA

The news came almost as fast as the bullets were fired: a judge murdered in cold blood; cartel members attempting a prison break; five people killed at a bar in a popular port city.

The surge in violence over a single weekend in Mexico brought a torrent of headlines that are increasingly familiar as powerful gangs battle for control of the country: shootouts, cars set on fire, bodies lying in the street.