1. a) Define cartel.
b) How many "foot soldiers" does the U.S. Defense Department think Mexico's two most deadly drug cartels have gathered?

2. How many people have died in the past year in Mexico's drug war?

3. a) Why are the two top drug cartels - Sinaloa and Los Zetas, negotiating a truce or merger?
b) How would this truce affect Mexico, according to an unnamed senior U.S. defense official?

4. How does President Calderon's evaluation of the situation differ from those of U.S. officials and analysts?

5. More than 1,800 people have been killed in Juarez, a city just across the border from El Paso, Texas. How are U.S. and Mexican authorities responding to this crisis?

6. Why have U.S. officials been reluctant to share information with Mexican counterparts in past years? Be specific.

7. After reading this article, would you still choose to go to Mexico for spring break or another vacation? Explain your answer. Ask a parent the same question.