The Relationship between Homicide and the Illegal Drug Market in Mexico City

In Mexico City, the relationship between rising homicides and illegal drug markets has been understudied, leading to a lack of understanding of their association. However, evidence and analysis of crack markets in the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s provide evidence of this relationship. This article uses several regression models and a bivariate LISA for the variables of interest in the case of Mexico City. The results indicate that the relationship is weak and differential according to spatial distribution. Although the magnitude of the coefficients is not very robust, they support the idea that the dispute over the control of illegal drug markets is related to the increase in homicides, although it qualifies its association in the public discussion.