U.S government closes consulate in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez

On 29 July 2010 the United States government closed its consulate in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez for an undetermined period of time due to security threats. Ciudad Juarez, situated on the border across from El Paso, Texas, is one of the most violent cities in the world due to the activities of drug trafficking cartels vying for control of lucrative smuggling routes into the United States. Violence in the city has claimed the lives of approximately 6,000 people over the last two-and-a-half years, including three people in March 2010 who were connected to the U.S. consulate. The U.S. government stated that it will not reopen the consulate until a security review has been completed.