Parents' Guide to

Bordertown: Laredo

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Drug war docuseries has violent images, some language.

TV A&E Reality TV 2011
Bordertown: Laredo Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

BORDERTOWN: LAREDO follows some of the daily activities of the Laredo police department's narcotics unit as it wages a continuous battle against the large-scale trafficking operations of the Mexican drug cartels. Sergeant Robert Sifuentes works with a team of Laredo, Texas police officers to keep drugs that have made it into the bordertown from being distributed throughout the United States. From storming stash houses to chasing vehicles carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of illegal narcotics, they risk their lives every day to try to keep their city, and the country, a little safer.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The series shows how big and far-reaching Mexican drug cartel operations have become along and across the U.S.-Mexico border. It also reveals some of the sophisticated ways cartels are smuggling drugs across the border, as well as the process by which the narcotics reach their final destinations.

The police take some pleasure in finding stashes, as well as catching and arresting alleged traffickers. This satisfaction comes from their desire to stop the people who are not only damaging Laredo, but damaging the country, too. But despite their successes, the message they are sending is less hopeful: They are only making a small dent in what is now a major national problem.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how drugs are portrayed on television. How does the entertainment media's presentation of drugs and drug dealing compare with what is being shown here? What are some of the consequences people face when getting involved with drugs?

  • Mexican drug cartel activity is a major issue, but illegal drugs do not only come from South of the border. Do you think the media's focus on this region of the world contributes to existing stereotypes about Mexico? What about American Latinos?

TV Details

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