Mexicali, Mexico is 45 miles west of Yuma, Arizona, and 110 miles east of San Diego, California. It is a border town that lies on the boundary of the United States and Mexico. It is the capital of the Mexican state of Baja, California.

Mexicali covers approximately 5,200 square miles and is home to more than 900,000 people. Like nearly all border towns under Mexican control, Mexicali is plagued by crime and violence that accompany the various cartels—violent groups with a vested interest in moving illicit drugs over the border into the United States.