During the years 2008-2012, the El Paso, Texas-Ciudad Juárez, Chihuhaua border region between the United States and Mexico saw a wave of violence that occurres as a result of the so-called "drug war" between the Juárez and Sinaloa drug cartels. As the criminal organizations began recruiting local gangs for their enforcment strategies, the violence soon spiraled beyond the context of the drug trafficking industry, generating mayhem and social decay throughout Ciudad Juárez. In four years, the death toll in the city amounted to 10,882, with 3,622 bodies in 2010. This article discusses the impact of the violence in the region as experienced by border residents and in relation to policy responses by the U.S. and Mexican governments. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews conducted in January-May 2010 with members of the border community, it focuses on the interviewees' experiences in 2010. The discussion of violence is contextualized as a global crisis, with ramifications upon urgent issues of citizenship, political, and human rights across national boundaries.