In Mexico City, the military has a museum used to train officials, diplomats and cadets about the war on drugs. Samples of various drugs, including marijuana in various forms, cocaine and methamphetamine are labeled in a glass case.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A lighted 3-D map shows the direction of drug trafficking from the south toward the United States.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
Army Capt. Claudio Montane, the museum's curator, shows a large mural depicting the war on drugs at the entrance to the Museum of Drugs in Mexico City.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A display at the museum shows how marijuana is smuggled inside a surf board.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
Zayaqui, a narcotics-detecting German Shepherd who died in 2008, is memorialized at the museum. He was responsible for the seizure of more than 8,000 pounds of marijuana and other drug findings.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
The displays examples of how drugs are smuggled in food and soda cans. The museum is open to Mexican officials, visiting diplomats, graduating army cadets and occasionally journalists, but not the greater public.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
An exhibit features weapons seized from cartel members. One 9mm browning pistol has the diamond-encrusted initials of LMJ.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A diorama shows how police and military road blocks can help catch drug smugglers. In the past three years, Mexican forces have confiscated 443 airplanes, 14,622 vehicles and 43,118 weapons, including bazookas and grenade launchers. They have seized $113,990,520 in cash, Claudio Montane said.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
Drugs are shown hidden in the picture frame of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Nine of these religious frames were found during a revision of a passenger bus in Sonora, Mexico. A total of 110 pounds of marijuana was seized.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A section of the museum teaches about the connection between certain religions and drug trafficking. A bust of Jesus Malverde is enshrined in one exhibit. Malverde, a highwayman who legend has it was killed by authorities in 1909, is revered as a patron saint of traffickers and a Robin Hood for the poor.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
An elaborately etched automatic weapon hangs on the wall at the museum. From 1976 to 2009, 636 Mexican forces have died in battles with the cartel -- 133 of them in the past three years.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A life-size diorama of a grower in the countryside guarding his crop is featured in the museum. With the flip of a switch a cassette player begins a narco-corrida, the popular ballads honoring the drug outlaws.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A diorama shows a military helicopter killing plants in a remote marijuana field.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A machine used to dry marijuana indoors was found during a drug bust and brought to the museum.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
Samples of various drugs, including cocaine, are labeled in a glass case. "The message we would like to convey," said Claudio Montane, "is that taking drugs is not for fun, and that these drugs costs lives in Mexico. We want people to know how hard we work in Mexico to combat this."
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
An exhibit shows drug paraphernalia such as elaborate pipes. "The idea is to show the history of drugs, the various methods of the narcos, our operations and interceptions against them, as well as their mode of life, the social phenomenon of this narco-culture," the museum's curator said.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
Various guns seized from cartel members are arranged in a display case. The center gun is etched with marijuana and poppy plants.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
In a room aimed at teaching about narco-culture, a mannequin has a pocket full of money and a big marijuana belt buckle.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
A room of the museum, dedicated to narco-culture, depicts a cartel member next to a row of glass cases filled with seized weapons.
Sarah L. Voisin-Washington Post
Gallery Credits:
Producer, Photo Editor Stephen Cook
Text Editor Heather Farrell
Reporter William Booth
