Welcome to Juarez:

A massive army surge has failed to calm raging drug gang violence in Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican city on the U.S. border that is at the heart of President Felipe Calderon’s drug war.

An influx of 10,000 troops and federal police in March brought temporary calm, but three months later drug murders have resumed and are overtaking 2008 levels, according to police and media tallies.

Calderon, whose party lost heavily in mid-term weekend elections, is under extra pressure to deliver on security as Mexico’s slumping economy hits his popularity.

In Ciudad Juarez, corrupt police still openly work openly for gangs despite ubiquitous army patrols. And local newspapers constantly show images of bullet-ridden vehicles and bleeding bodies on busy streets.

After a few quiet weeks, the city’s death tally from cartel violence has risen to 900 this year, compared with 800 in the first six months of 2008.

Washington was also hoping the use of force would help solve the drug problem and model an approach for other areas. The failure of that tactic owes in part to the interrelated problems on both sides of the border:

Slow progress on weeding out corrupt police and stopping the flow of smuggled U.S. guns are hindering the military.

Washington has pledged to crack down on arms smuggling, but corrupt Mexican customs officials are plentiful and AK-47s and U.S. gun shops are within easy reach.

Back to the drawing board?

The politics of this are getting nasty in Mexico. These failures are eroding the legitimacy of the government at the local and national level, and recession is pushing more recruits into the arms of drug gangs. Chronic violence and discontent make for a pretty explosive mix, the effects of which are felt on our side of the border as well.