Valle de Juarez, Chihuahua - Mexican authorities have dispatched large numbers of Mexican federal police and soldiers to the Valley of Juarez after weeks of terror.
The surge in federal forces comes after dozens of killings, the burning of homes and the attempted torching of a church. Many residents had moved away after receiving threats to leave or die as drug cartels battle for turf.
The visible federal presence appeared to have brought a sense of calm in stark contrast to two weeks ago, when the remaining residents were afraid to step outside at night.
On Wednesday, caravans of federal police vehicles rolled in the streets of small towns. Soldiers with machine guns stood behind sandbags at checkpoints on the roads in the farming area that is a battleground in the war between cartels. Helicopters flew over dirt roads looking for suspicious activity.
