Calderón Launches Military Drug War

Ten days after his inauguration, Calderón deployed 6,500 soldiers to his home state of Michoacán, marking the beginning of Mexico's military-led war on organized crime. He presented himself in military garb at the ceremony. The strategy — targeting cartel leadership through military operations — escalated throughout his term. Homicides rose from 8,867 in 2007 to 27,213 in 2011 before declining slightly.