Pastor Steve, as he's known to most, leads Tapestries of Life Ministries, a non-profit organization that brings together church groups of different denominations from across the U.S. and both sides of the border.

Pastor "Esteban" in Mexico, Brewer has been working in the Juarez region for more than 20 years. He began long before the bloodshed and vows to continue his mission to help children.

Many U.S. churches that do charity work in Mexico have scaled back or are staying away from the Juarez area these days. Murders now top 2000 so far this year despite the presence of thousands of Mexican troops and federal police.

Pastor Steve persists with the help of a small dedicated staff and volunteers from across the U.S. who venture across the border. The mission: finish an orphanage for hundreds of children who need a home. "Many of these folks are building for children they may never meet but they're committed to being part of the solution, Pastor Steve explained."

One the morning we set out, our unmarked vehicle is strategically put in the middle of the vans with Tapestries of Life painted on the sides in big cursive letters. This is to make sure it's clear we are traveling with the ministry.

The company truck we use (photographer Hugo Perez and I) is a dark blue Ford Expedition. Some have aptly pointed out it is looks like a "narco" truck. We often keep the slightly tinted windows rolled down while in Juarez to ensure soldiers and drug traffickers don't mistake us for someone else.

As we drive across the border this time I can't help but feel tense. Photographer Hugo Perez and I work in Juarez all the time but even here this region is notorious for its brutality. The windows are down despite the morning chill.

The valley of Juarez, a rural area east of the city, has been the scene of drug cartel killings that include the beheading of the police chief of one town. His head was left in front of city hall in an ice chest. During the two days we worked in the area I did not see one single local, state of federal police officer or soldier.

Pastor Steve prefers focus on faith not fear but he does not downplay the danger either. "It's to the point that they're so brazen now they put a list out in the city plaza saying we're going to kill these people this week. And if you're still in this town by Monday you're going to be dead," he explains.

On the way to the orphanage people in the streets wave and smile as the Tapestry of Life vans drive through the town of Caseta and then Guadalupe. We're told a lot is done behind the scenes to make sure the traffickers know these are volunteers doing charity work.

Even so Pastor Steve rides alone in his own truck because of a death threat. "I'm on a list here to be hurt. But I don't care. I'm going to continue be part of the solution, being a light in the midst of the darkness."

On this sunny morning, as we pass fields full of fluffy white cotton there are no gruesome scenes. After a while we drive on a dirt road and a large building takes shape in the distance: the orphanage.

Once we arrive, Mark Steele, a volunteer from Pittsburg leads the group in a morning prayer. "We're all here for love of the children and we pray that they get the chance to feel our love soon."

After breakfast the group sings several Christian songs. Lisa Seaman plays guitar and sings lead. She and her husband Quinn both left good paying jobs in Wisconsin to work with Tapestries of Life full time. Their hometown church helps pay their modest living expenses. "I can't imagine doing anything else in my life right now at this time," Lisa says.

The other volunteers visit a week at a time to lend a hand as the orphanage enters the final phase of construction. They travel to the border from across the U.S. On this day they're from Pennsylvania. Before the work begins, Pastor Steve addresses the volunteers bluntly with a smile and mock shock, "Your families were freaking. Oh my God. You're going where? What?"

They laugh releasing some of the nervous tension. As the sermon continues some shed tears when the pastor acknowledges, "They all said no, no, no. But you were strong of good courage and decided to be part of the solution. Amen. To let your light shine, the light of love shines in this country for the Glory of God to give children a hand up instead of a hand out."

Once completed "Casa de las Gemas," House of Gems will be home to 400 orphan children. The building is almost ready. The challenge now: raise money for the cafeteria.

The two story orphanage is filled with sunlight. The lobby includes a huge skylight. It's an inviting place thanks to volunteers who painted the children's rooms with colorful characters including those of Finding Nemo" fame to old favorites, Winnie the Pooh and friends. Rooms for the older children include scenes of trains for the boys, wild horses for the girls.

"I just want to see that dream come true. I want to be one of those people that actually see the kids walk through the door and make a difference for them. So we keep bringing groups down to do that, Melanie Budner said as she painted pieces of wood for a shelf. She's been here 11times and watched the orphanage take shape brick by brick.<

Volunteers have done everything from tile the floor to building the roof. Local people also help out. In one room we find two young men painting a railroad scene on the walls. "To change the future we have to start with the children," says Eddie Lucio, 17.

He plays in a Christian music group with German Pinedo, his fellow painter on this day.
Pinedo feels a special responsibility. He grew up in an orphanage in Juarez. "For me it's about giving back a little. It's my turn," he explains.

Another orphan, Daniel Hugo Romero, who now works with Pastor Steve full time feels a sense of urgency. "We need to finish this place, says Romero." He studied psychology and hope to serve as a counselor at the orphanage. "The little kids, they're being affected," he says of the children growing up in the midst of so much violence.

Pastor Steve met Romero as a child and later helped him pay for college when he was old enough. Now 32 Romero has a wife and children of his own and is leader in his local church.

The Pastor who has worked in this area for more than 20 years knows another hometown boy who had a rough childhood. He grew up to be a leader too but for the drug cartel that has terrorized the community. He was arrested a few months ago.

Despite the danger or maybe because of it, the people on both sides of the border who believe in Tapestries of Life remain committed to the mission in Mexico.

Pastor Steve Brewer asks, "If everyone just gives up and goes home then what's going to happen to the children? What 's going to happen to the next generation of children that are going to grow up angry?"

"They didn't give a rat's ass about anything when they were out there killing people. We'd wake up in the morning and there would be a body here. Next week there'd be a body down the street," Jack Suneson, owner of Marti's recalls. His store caters tourist offering a wide variety of hand crafted artisan work from throughout Mexico. ""We've lost 2 or 3 generations of shoppers coming to Nuevo Laredo."

I met Jack during Nuevo Laredo's dark days in 2004-2005. When I returned to Nuevo Laredo recently the Festival Tamaulipas was in full swing featuring singers, dancers, musical groups from Mexico and other countries. When we visited a ballet company from Serbia was performing that night. On another day, the Glenn Miller Orchestra took the stage.

On the surface it seems life has returned to normal in Nuevo Laredo and it has in many ways. "Alquien esta poniendo la paz," a shopkeeper a block from the border told me. Translation: somebody has restored peace. But like most in this border town he will not say it: that Nuevo Laredo is quiet because the Zetas won control. "They rule by fear now, no more by violence as far as Nuevo Laredo is concerned," said Suneson.

"They've evolved into a multidimensional criminal organization. They're doing all kinds of things beyond what a regular cartel will do," a senior DEA official told me recently. He's an expert on the Zetas.

Through brute force the Zetas earned the right to charge a "piso" or a fee for contraband smuggled through their territory. "Anything they can get some money on they're going to be involved n," explained Laredo Police Detective Robert Garcia.

He has investigated Zeta crimes on the Texas side of the border including a notorious teenaged hit man case. Detective Garcia says the Zetas even charge a "piso" to small street vendors peddling hotdogs on a corner.

Nuevo Laredo is a prized "plaza" or center of operation. While you can't get people to openly talk about the Zetas, the group's rise is chronicled in narco corridos and you tube videos. Online and on the street, the Zetas are commonly referred to now as "La Compania," the company. And Nuevo Laredo is clearly a company town.

During a recent visit, we were watched constantly by "halcones, " lookouts who report back to the cartel. They're usually young teens or men who monitor the comings and goings in border towns.

I nearly bumped into a group of 3 as I was leaving a convenience store.The young men watched my colleague photographer Hugo Perez who was shooting some general street scenes. One of the gangly youths used huge radios to call in their observations.

Earlier in the day right after we did an interview with the mayor, a couple of local reporters approached me to ask a few questions about who I was and what story we were working on at that moment. One wanted to interview us.

You might think this was merely a professional courtesy or curiosity. I am not convinced. I know the cartels sometimes rely on reporters to do their bidding. Some have served as spokespeople who dictate coverage to local media. These days most media censor themselves to avoid attracting the Zeta's wrath.

I checked and found out later that day one of the journalists is not to be trusted. I had politely declined the "interview." After all, we were in a rush to finish our stories.

"Nuevo Laredo right now is quiet but the damage has been done," Jack Suneson said. He has not given up on his hometown though. Marti's is still open but often empty. Suneson did open a brand new store in downtown San Antonio to cater to tourists who are still afraid to cross the border.

The cemetery came alive with relatives who tidied up tombs and hired musicians to serenade their dearly departed . "Amor Eterno," eternal love was a favorite request. Others brought favorite dishes to share. One family put up a tarp for shade and planned to grill some fish and spend the entire afternoon at their relative's gravesite.

Some people included the family pet. A dog sat quietly at his former owner's grave as children played nearby. At another gravesite, Cristian Rodarte Gamez placed his mother's beloved parrot near the tombstone where he and his sisters stood vigil. Olivia Gamez died from health problems this March.

In Mexico, many view death as part of the natural progression of life but in Juarez drug violence has changed the natural order of things forcing hundreds of parents to bury their children.

"Most are young kids," remarked Isabel Perez. Her 14 year old son was gunned down last year as drug violence escalated. His 6 brothers and sisters joined their mother under an umbrella at his grave. A cross made of wrenches reflected his passion for fixing up cars.

Just a few feet away, another family remembered another 14 year old who died in a hail of bullets. "He was just a child," said his uncle Elisas Candelaria. "God only knows when the killing will stop.

This municipal cemetery is the largest and offers the least expensive burial. Many of those who are buried here live in poor neighborhoods where victim and villain live side by side.

Death is no stranger in Juarez, and on this Dia de los Muertos the cemetery was filled with families whose loved ones are causalities in an undeclared war.

Watch the slideshow Dia de los Muertos.pdf

Mexico is one of the most dangerous places to work as a reporter. The risks I face as a U.S. journalist pale in comparison to those Mexican reporters confront daily on the job: threats, kidnappings, death. In just the last 30 days 2 reporters have been murdered in the border state Chihuahua. And in August gunmen killed a federal investigator looking into the murder of a police reporter gunned down in his driveway last year in Ciudad Juarez.

When I work on a story across the border in Juarez with border photographer Hugo Perez -- he and I can return to safety on the U.S. side. Those who report for Mexican media live and work in Mexico full time.

I am witness to the bloodiest period in Mexico since the 1910 revolution. And this crisis poses a threat to Mexico's national security, young democracy, and our shared border. In the battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes drug cartels have turned their high powered weapons on rivals, police, soldiers, and government officials, and yes -- journalists.

The escalating violence includes shootings in broad daylight on busy streets, massacres at popular restaurants, mass killings at rehab centers, beheadings.

President Calderon sent nearly 10,000 federal troops and police to restore order in Juarez but the killings - about a dozen a day, continue. Residents increasingly complain they feel caught in the cross fire and exposed to human rights violations - rather than protected by the military.

The majority of the murders whether cops, journalists, or average citizens, remain unsolved and unpunished. Investigations seem to lead nowhere.

Among the unsolved cases: the disappearance of the TV Azteca reporter and photographer who vanished on assignment 3 years ago in Monterrey. And the grenade attack on El Manana news paper in Nuevo Laredo several years ago.

And reporters and their news organizations in hotspots across Mexico often have to make life and death decisions about how much of the story to report and just how to stay safe. To survive: they self censor.

A cornerstone of any democracy and vibrant civil society is freedome of expression and nowhere in the Americas is that right more at risk today than in Mexico, especially on the border.

Killing a reporter has a chilling effect in a country where impunity reigns.
The drug cartels not only seek to curtail coverage but control it for maximum impact. Media savvy traffickers seek to terrorize not just rivals but entire communities.

Some tactics:

-Narco mantas or Narco banners placed in public places with a mutilated or at times beheaded body. The messages are usually warnings. Sometimes for corrupt cops they allege work for rival traffickers or government officials. Other times it's a simple hit list with names.

-We know some hit squads time murders to ensure coverage on top-rated late newscasts

-Some cartel members post their own crime scene video complete with music soundtracks on You Tube.

-Others put reporters on their payrolls to spy on colleagues or to serve as spokespeople who pass along directions to news organizations about cartel preferences for coverage.

While in Nuevo Laredo recently we were followed by cartel spies and approached by reporters who wanted to "interview" us to see what we were doing in town.

Their work taints other journalists and cast doubt on those who are killed. It's common to hear the question? Did he or she work for the cartel? Authorities who fail to adequately investigate the cases of murdered journalists often allude to this.

So what about U.S. media? Many news organizations are reluctant to risk sending reporters to cover the impact of drug violence across the border. Photographer Hugo Perez and I - we are often the only U.S. news crew in Juarez .

The recession and budget cuts also make it difficult for news organizations to devote resources to this story. While national media cover far off wars - the undeclared war raging next door -- receives sporadic coverage at best.

For those who cover this story day and day, the solidarity spearheaded by Reporters without Border is critical to ensuring the voices of journalists in Mexico and on the border are not silenced.

Budget cuts were blamed but it was clear after talking to both the mayor and police chief, personalities played a role too. "All this funding out there to provide for law enforcement agencies to up the security for the border region - but yet we've got a mayor that's doing away with law enforcement," Chief J.D. Wilbourn told me. Wilbourn says he's personally written grants and brought in outside funding for the tiny force.

We interviewed him on his ranch where he's spending more times these days. The chief and two deputies were off the job October 1st. Mayor Dunlap told me the chief would automatically get an offer to serve as town Marshall as mandated by law. It's going to be interesting to see what the Marshall of Marfa does., said part time resident Don Shafer. " I think of the old Gun Smoke episodes and Marshall Dillon coming out."

Shafer and his wife Linda own a home here and split their time between Marfa and Austin. I found them at the popular lunch spot "Food shark" with some friends and their big black standard poodle. The old fashioned silver trailer serves up an interesting menu under a shaded area with picnic tables. By the time we got there the "Marfalafel," had sold out.

It was Friday and there were plenty of weekend visitors including a young couple who drove in from Dallas. We also encountered another couple from Houston. Recommendations that weekend included "Padres" a dance hall housed in a former funeral parlor. "They have cactus margaritas," Linda Shafer told us. They're hot pink from the "tuna" or prickly pear fruit.

With the weekend looming few seemed worried about a possible crime wave once the police department closed down. Linda recounted a story, "We know a man who rode his bike to the Get Go and left his IPod in the basket and when he came out it was not there. Citizens found out and essentially formed a posse and went after this, he was just a teenager, but none the less he took the IPod and that was wrong."

The idea of tranquility, great art (The Chinati Foundation is based here), and wide open skies that are the bluest I've ever seen that are part of Marfa's magic. And why it's a haven for people seeking even a brief escape from big city life in place that prides itself on being "how the west was."

Marfa Slideshow

Both the Drug Czar and Border Czar were invited but declined at the last minute . Much of the discussion was among people who agreed the current policy is not working. They had differing views on the alternative. But several of the panelists seemed to favor decriminalizing some drugs.

Anthony Placido who leads the DEA's intelligence program offered an opposing view. ""When you start walking down this line, it becomes very difficult when you realize it's as expensive to regulate, if not more so, than it is to enforce the laws, and ultimately, we the taxpayers end up underwriting this whole thing. "

But retired federal agent Terry Nelson on another panel promoted legalization as a long term solution, " legalized, regulation and control of all narcotics and an education program to teach people not to start." He points to anti-smoking campaigns as the model. Smoking rates have dropped drastically in one generation.

For more than 30 years Nelson worked to stop drug smugglers both in this country and abroad. Now as a member of LEAP, Law Enforcement against Prohibition, he doubts enforcement is the answer, " I try not to smirk when I hear more boots on the ground, more law enforcement or we're going to crackdown on crime. I've heard that so many times over the last 40 years. The crime will stop in Juarez when a new drug cartel is in charge of the whole thing."

The cartel turf war in Juarez has claimed more than 1700 lives so far this year and more than 200 just this month. The panel looking at the impact on local communities included some solid research and sobering stories. Victor Quintana, a researcher and professor with the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez talked about an attack on the small Chihuahua community Madera on March 22. A group of gunmen killed many of the men. Others fled and are too afraid to return home.

Dr. David Shirk, the director of the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego explored the explosion in drug-related murders in Mexico with data gathered for the Justice in Mexico Project.

In an interview after the panel he told me, "It's not just that there are these thugs running around. It's getting down to the community level and the family level and seeing the disastrous effects of this violence for everyday people."

The former mayor of Medellin, Colombia Sergio Fajardo has seen those disastrous effects first hand in his city. A notorious drug cartel by the same name was behind rampant violence in the 90s. Fajardo, took the stage in a packed hall and much like a preacher giving a sermon, gave a talk titled "Del Miedo a la Esperanza," From fear to Hope.

Now a candidate for President of Colombia, he said by creating educational opportunities he helped reduce rampant drug violence. He showed several slides with gleaming buildings, schools, libraries, an aquarium, science center-- all build in the poorest neighborhoods. "La Esperanza se construye. Y ustedes Juarenzes lo pueden construir." Hope is built and you, Juarez residents, can build it.

Nearly every seat in the convention center was filled and at the end Fajardo got a standing ovation. As he left the stage people flocked to him, shaking his hand, snapping pictures, all desperate for a glimmer of hope that their nightmare might end too. In this city on the frontline, 40 years later the war on drugs is more than a metaphor in Mexico.

I was in Juarez with border photographer Hugo Perez where we saw caravans of cops, city and federal and soldiers patrolling the downtown area that is the scene of the festivities. Police barricade a 15 block radius to keep vehicle traffic out. Only those on foot will be allowed to enter the plaza area where the mayor of Juarez Jose Reyes Ferris will re-enact the traditional "grito" or cry of Independence.

Security forces scoured the streets nearby. "They're checking every corner, even garbage cans," said Sergio Javier Tenorio with the city of Juarez's "comercio" department. I ran into him downtown where he was supervising vendors setting up food stands along the sidewalk.

Vender Miguel Lopez was all smiles as hoped for a large crowd craving churros. "We're waiting for them." His family has had a stand for 20 years. They serve regular or filled churro and "papas locas" potatoes seasoned with "a secret recipe."

Across the street, vendor Jose Gonzalez worried people would stay away because fearing for their safety. "Plus a lot of people don't have money to celebrate this year, "he added referring to the recession.

In my experience on 16 de Septiembre people always turned out: - rich, poor, north south. It's the one holiday that unites all of Mexico. But this year, I'm not sure. Emotions are raw and people are on edge.

Downtown I met Adela Aguilar de Bustillos, a Juarez grandmother told me "No, no I'm not coming. It's not safe. It's very dangerous now."

This week Juarez topped last year's record number of murders - more than 1600. It's only mid-September and so far more than 100 murders this month. The escalating drug violence shows no signs of slowing despite a massive show of force by Mexico's federal government.

Drug violence will no doubt keep many Texans from crossing the border like they did in years past to enjoy Mexico's Independence Day. Organizers of celebrations in the U.S. expect larger crowds this year.

And grandmother Aguilar who was walking downtown with her daughter and baby granddaughter told me her family will watch the "grito" at home on television behind locked doors. On this Independence Day, in this border town, many Mexicans don't feel free to celebrate in safety.

According to Mexico's Public Security Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, quoted in Mexico's El Universal newspaper, the man behind the hijacking is a pastor from Bolivia who says "divine revelation" caused him to hijack the plane. The date 9/9/09 was the trigger since upside down it's 666. Further, Garcia Luna says the Pastor named José Marc Flores Pereira is an ex-con with a drug and alcohol addiction problem.

The passengers told various media they did not realize there was a problem until they were on the ground and saw heavily armed police had surrounded the plane. The crew and all the passengers are now safe. No shots were fired. Mexican authorities say the suspects did not have explosives and never had access to the cockpit. Nine men are in custody. Their role in the hijacking is not clear yet.

It happened just blocks from the border. This is the 4th drug rehab center attacked since rival drug cartels started fighting for the smuggling routes that link the sister cities El
Paso and Juarez last year.

Authorities say these rehab centers often serve as hideouts for hit men or fertile recruiting grounds for traffickers looking for new recruits.

Police officers posted outside the crime scene told me the neighborhood is a hotspot for gang activity. Many of the families I talked to did not want to give their names. Some did not want to appear on camera for our story either. They fear a new wave of revenge killings after the rehab murders.

Most hid in their homes during the killing spree and only ventured out the next morning to see what had happened. I found Barbara Lampe and her mother Diana Gordon walking down the street. At first I thought the American women might be tourists who wandered away from the downtown shopping strip.

But Lampe told me they moved here 5 months ago after her husband lost his job in Bakersfield, California "because it's cheaper living." After the massacre Lampe's mother doubts it's worth the risk, "It was scary. I'm ready to move. Her son-in-law has since found a job in El Paso but the family remains in Juarez.

Back the crime scene; we hear noises on the patio of the rehab center. The officers enter to investigate and find a chocolate colored pit bull with cropped ears chained up. He's sitting in a pool of blood whimpering for water. (I did convince the officers to give the dog some water in his empty overturned dish. It too was covered in blood.)

Nearby the body of another pit bull lay rotting in the sun. It was shot during the attack.
Those who sought refuge or a hiding place at this rehab center felt they needed the guard dogs. It turns out they were right.

Mexico City learned a lot during the original outbreak this past spring and used that information to design a flu fighitng plan. Health authorities now know the early deaths were people who waited too long for medical attention.

The public education campaign will urge anyone with symptoms to seek immediate treatment. In most cases people can recover at home with antiviral medication prescribed by their family doctor. But some may need hospitalization.

During the outbreak this spring, health authorities in Mexico City learned that of 65 antiviral drugs used only two worked. Tami flu is the only one you can get at a pharmacy (with a prescription.) The other known as Sanavivir in Mexico is inhaled and administered in a hospital. The capital has a stockpile of effective antiviral medication ready for flu season and access to more from Mexico's federal government.

The mayor of Mexico City Marcelo Ebrard though won't be counting on the federal government's lab. He made sure the capital has its own lab ready to test samples this fall. The federal lab was overwhelmed by the number of cases and the CDC had to come in and set up a temporary lab to help Mexico test a backlog of samples when the outbreak peaked.

Mexico City does not expect to get thenew vaccine in time to make a difference. The H1N1 vaccine won't be available until December in Mexico City. And the Health Secretary told me that it takes a minimum of 45 days after the shot for full protection. The city will only get 5 million doses and that is too little too late. " We have to work as if there were not a vaccine," explained Dr. Ahued Ortega.

Instead authorities will push prevention as the best protection. A public campaign will focus on frequent hand washing and other tips like keeping sick students and employees home.

Mass closures of schools, government offices and businesses are not part of the plan this fall. Businesses criticized the mayor for taking such drastic action. But Mexico City's health secretary defends the move "It was not exaggerated. Mexico City was able to control this epidemic."

Instead of closing all schools the government will close individual classroom when 3 students get the flu. An entire school will shut down when 3 classrooms are infected.

This summer Mexico City's Secretary of Health has advised South American countries facing their own outbreaks. It's winter there now. He says Chile followed Mexico's example and has managed the virus better than Argentina which had a bigger outbreak and only closed some schools. Mexico's health secretary was on the way to Buenos Aires the day we met to offer more assistance.

One last lesson: those face masks we saw everywhere, it turns out they're not necessary. The new advice: only those who are sick or in close contact with someone who has the flu should wear one this fall.

The trend extends well beyond the border area. U.S. and Mexican companies are rushing to take advantage of medical tourism. Mexico should enjoy a bigger share of the global business its right next door.

At small storefront at a mall in El Paso, U.S. citizens shop for healthcare.This is the sales office for the Centro Medico de Especialidades, a private hospital just across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In spite of the violence in Juarez, the hospital is getting new patients.

"They're shocked when they see the prices compared to the United states prices. They like that. It's a lot of savings." On the morning we visited sales manager Adriana Provencio got several calls. She answered questions in a reassuring voice. "You're looking into having the chemotherapy done over there in Mexico? Ok. OK."

It's clear many of those who call or come in have heard "no" many times from their insurance companies (if they have insurance). And they're relieved to find a place that says yes. Mr. Ruben Jimenez was in that situation when he walked into the office.

The 76 year old appliance repairman had been denied coverage by Medicare for a high risk operation because of his age. In February U.S. doctors discovered a tumor growing behind his eye. "The pressure it was killing me. The pressure inside I just could feel a horrible headache," Mr. Jimenez told me.

He risked losing his eye, his driver's license and the business he built. What's going to happen to my life? Be inside the house looking out the windows like a lion inside a cage. I will die. I will die."

While repairing a refrigerator at a home, a lady told him about Centro Medico de Especialidades. He went for testing and by the end of the same week the hospital scheduled surgery.

Mr. Jimenez is among a growing number of Americans who cross the border looking for affordable care they can't get at home. They go to Mexico to see doctors, dentists, buy glasses or pick up prescription medications - all at a fraction of the cost.

"I think we're going to increase our patients from the U.S. because the cost in the U.S. is going way up and here in Mexico staying at the same price as always." Dr. Sergio Soto Alberto, told me during a visit to his office.

The orthopedic Surgeon at Centro Medico de Espeicalidades in Juarez ran down a list of common procedures, " knee replacement, hip replacement, spine, neck surgery, fractures." He offers treatment for about a third of the price in the U.S.

How at do his American patients react to the price in Mexico? "They get mad. They say they're paying so much insurance and why?"

So how low can the price go? "Sometimes the deductable will be same as whole cost here." Dr. Jorge de la Chapa told me during a visit to his office at Centro Medico de Especialidades. Dr. de la Chapa is an ophthalmologist who sees plenty of patients from the United States.

Some travel from other parts of Texas, Arizona. And he remembers one man who drove down from New Jersey for treatment. At 67 Dr. de la Dr. Chapa looks nowhere near ready to retire. His good humor comes in handy with children. A collection of funny glasses hang on the wall of his office, gifts from patients.

And in his pocket he keeps a rubber skeleton head. He pulls it out and gives it a squeeze. The eyes pop out comically. Joking aside, Dr. de la Chapa is a skilled surgeon and with the help of a neurologist at the hospital decided to take Mr. Jimenez's complicated case. Remember he has the tumor behind his eye.

On the 4th of July the team of Mexican doctors operated on Mr. Jimenez. The delicate surgery took 7 hours. " I feel a lot better. The pain is gone. I can see a lot better than even before the operation. "Mr. Jimenez told me this week.

His eyelid is still swollen. But he says give him another month, and the appliance repairman will be back on the job.

Mr. Arnau is in charge of strategic programs for the city and considers the insurance a great incentive for tourists who want to visit. The timing couldn't be better with uninsured or underinsured Americans at the center of the healthcare debate.

"We really are one of the major capitals of the world that should be visited," Arnau touted the city's theaters, restaurants, museums, and history A new promotion offers a combined Mexico City/beach vacation package featuring coastal resorts.

The insurance is designed to restore confidence in travelers after the H1N1 scare in the capital this spring. Border photographer Hugo Perez and I were in Mexico City during the outbreak. We returned recently to see how Mexico City is doing.

The sidewalk cafés were bustling with business from mostly local residents enjoying a leisurely lunch. It's hard to believe just a few months ago the normal life in the capital of more than 9 million people practically came to a halt. Back then the government ordered all non-essential businesses closed to control crowds and keep the virus from spreading.

While most tables were filled at restaurants in the "La Condesa," neighborhood, in another part of the city an artisan market catering to tourists was nearly empty. Vender Norma Lilia Olin wants Americans to know, "We're here waiting with our arms open to receive you. Don't be afraid." She told me tourism was down -even before the H1N1 outbreak. She blames news stories about drug violence in other parts of Mexico for scaring people away.

Tourism is one of Mexico's top sources of income. And with the other leading income sources, oil and remittances down, it's more important than ever. Mexico City sees the insurance offer as a low risk gamble to get tourists back. Mr. Arnau put it this way, "We send a message that Mexico City is a safer place in which you are covered and really the risks are being taken by the insurance company. And the Mexico City government is really happy with this plan."

OK. I know what you're thinking; all those underinsured or uninsured Americans will flock to Mexico City for a "vacation" to get free medical or dental care.
"As a surprise we have some dental issues," Mr. Arnau told me. In the first 3 weeks there have been less than 40 claims by tourists. Half were for dental work. Arnau says Mexico City expects the number of people taking advantage of the free insurance to grow as more traveler' become aware of the option.

But just like your insurance company back home, MAPFE, the company managing the travel insurance for Mexico City will be on the lookout for pre-existing conditions.
Mexico's free travel insurance offer runs through the end of the year but could be extended beyond that. "Right now there are a lot of destinations, a lot of states, even a lot of countries that are paying attention to this program."They're watching to see if it helps Mexico City's tourism industry recover.

On Thursday I talked with Silvio Canto Jr., host of Citizen Broadcasting Blog Talk radio in Dallas about the summit results.

These gatherings rarely lead to any real breakthroughs or major new agreements but personally I think the face to face meetings to examine regional needs serve a purpose. We get to see the priorities laid out by the leaders as well as the lingering problems.

And there are some tough issues facing these neighboring nations. To get a view beyond the border we traveled to central Mexico to see the impact of the recession on immigration, examine new security concerns in a part of the country considered safe, and look at H1N1 preps. nationwide in Mexico.

We also returned to Mexico City to see how the capital is recovering from the economic blow from the H1N1 outbreak this spring. There are some innovative enticements designed to lure travelers back and encourage new visitors from the U.S. to come to one of the world's most fascinating cities and a personal favorite.
Our road trip took us through Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato and Mexico City our final stop. Along the way we've heard about the concerns of both Mexicans and Americans living here.

If you've visited Mexico this summer or live there year round, I'd like to hear from you too as we wrap up our reporting. It's been a great if exhausting week. It's good to be back in the heart of Mexico.

The high profile arrest comes as President Calderon urges President Obama to speed up aid promised under the Merida initiative. Only a small fraction of the 1.4 Billion in training and equipment has been delivered so far. Among the items Mexico needs: several helicopters that would help the government fight well-armed drug cartels.

Beyond Congress will withhold 15% of the Merida aid until Mexico offers proof the military is not involved in human rights abuses as it mounts a massive operation to combat drug cartels.

Here's what I expect the 3 leaders to discuss during the joint press conference later this morning:

Security: cross border enforcement to combat transnational criminal organizations.
H1N1 preps: coordinated prevention and response as health authorities brace for flu season

Economy: creating jobs, promoting trade and working together to boost the regional economy during the recession
Sticking points:

Trucking: The U.S. has failed to comply with NAFTA and allow Mexican trucks beyond the border. President Calderon brought this touchy topic up during dinner last night.
Merida: Mexico wants the U.S. to speed up aid (training/equipment) to respond to the cartel threat. The U.S. has delivered a small fraction of the $1.4 Billion dollars worth aid and none of the helicopters promised. Beyond that, Congress will hold back on 15% of the Merida aid until Mexico proves the military is not involved in human rights abuses.

I'll have more a little later on the air and online. For now I have to run. The secret service just let us into the room to set up cameras.

The announcement came during a Juarez visit this past Wednesday by Gomez-Mont. At the press conference I attended we were not allowed to ask questions.
But clearly plenty of border residents I've interviewed question whether "Operation Chihuahua" is making a difference. For a while after a troop surge in March, the killings slowed. But now they're spiking again.

Authorities say that's because the drug traffickers have found ways to adapt to the military presence. One tactic: masquerade as the military.

"Criminal bands are using military style uniforms and equipment," the spokesman for Operation Chihuahua told me. He pointed to arrests last month in the mountains of Chihuahua. The soldiers captured the group of 25 men -- 23 were dressed in uniforms that matched their own.

And an anonymous tip recently led authorities to a small factory where soldiers seized 23 commercial sewing machines, piles of military uniforms and plenty of fabric to make more. Interestingly the fabric, according to Torres, was like that used by the U.S. military for "desert-storm style" uniforms.

It was a close enough match for the uniforms used by the Mexican soldiers manning checkpoints throughout the border state Chihuahua. Authorities confirm they've discovered fake checkpoints in various remote areas -- along key smuggling routes.

"They say they're disguised like soldiers," said Ivan Martinez, a street vender selling kitchen matches in Juarez. Residents who hear about drug cartel commandos dressed in military garb wonder trust even as they ask whether the real military operation is making a difference.

I know coverage of the killings can lead to some battle fatigue for viewers and readers. This past year and a half I've tried to get beyond the body count to show the impact on communities on both sides of the border. New American Media recently spotlighted some of our work (I team up with photographer Hugo Perez in the border bureau.) To see the story and learn more about this unique news organization check this link: BELO TV Documents Mexican Drug War Impact on Civilians

And please offer your ideas on how we can continue to improve our comprehensive coverage of the war next door.