MEXICO CITY (AP) — A U.S.-born hit man is fighting the brother of a deceased drug lord for control of a Mexican drug cartel.
Texas-born Edgar Valdez Villareal (vahl-DEHZ' vee-ah-ray-AHL') may be the first American to rise to the top ranks of Mexican drug gangs. He is battling Hector Beltran Leyva (bel-TRAHN' LAY'-vah) for control of the Beltran Leyva cartel, and has built a reputation as one of the most brutal enforcers employed by the drug gangs.
Turf battles among Mexico's drug gangs and attacks on law enforcement officers and civilians have killed about 17,900 people since December 2006.
The battles have become so fierce along the border that the U.S. government has cautioned Americans to avoid unnecessary travel to some areas.
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