Ciudad Juárez

Ciudad Juárez (founded 1659) is a city in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. The desert surrounding the city is a major area in all three Call of Juarez games.

Background
Juarez was founded in 1659 by Spanish explorers looking for a route through the soutern Rocky Mountains. It was originally named "Paso del Norte" (meaning "North Pass"). Through the years the town grew, and when it began stretching over the otherside of the border, the American side became known as "El Paso". In 1888 the city was renamed "Juarez" in honor of Benito Juarez. By 1910 the city became Mexico's largest border town. Over the years Juarez grew due to the unflux of citizens, and with this the crime rate skyrocketed. Juarez became the homebase of the Juarez Mexican Drug Cartel, and from 1993-2003, 4,000 women were murdered. Juarez is considered by many to be the most dangerous city in the world outside of warzones.

Early Years
In 1520, Hernan Cortes held Aztec chieftain Montezuma hostage in exchange for the gold. The Aztecs gave up the gold, and Cortes went into the desert and buried it. A local legend claimed the treasure to be cursed. The curse was then referred to as the "Call of Juarez".

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
In 1866, Ray and Thomas McCall stormed their employer's alcazar to rescue their brother. Thomas and Marisa fled the fort to find the treasure but were eventually caught by Ray. Ray and Thomas got into a standoff, and when William intervened, Ray shot him. Confederate Colonel Jeremy Barnsby attacked the group so he could take the treasure and resurrect the Confederate Army. However, Barnsby failed to stop the men and was shot dead in a duel. Ray, Thomas, and Marisa fled the temple and vowed never to go back for the treasure.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
Silas Greaves and his two older brothers were cattle herders, and would drive cattle over the border from Texas into Mexico. In 1868, Greaves stopped at a cantina in Juarez, and played a poker game with Johnny Ringo, Roscoe "Bob" Bryant, and Jim Reed. Silas won the game (along with an old Spanish coin). However, the three outlaws were enraged that Silas had won, so the men chased after Silas and his brothers and lynched them. The weight of Silas' older brothers however broke the branch they were hung on, saving Silas' life. However, the weight also killed his brothers. Enraged, Silas began a personal vendetta against Ringo, Bryant, and Reed and for the next several decades tracked the men down in vengeance.

Call of Juarez
In 1884, Ray McCall (now a reverend), was in hot pursuit of his step-nephew Billy Candle. Ray however eventually embarks on a quest to rescue a young girl named Molly Ferguson who was taken to Juarez. Both Billy and Ray encounter Ray's former employer and Billy's father, a bandit leader named Juan Mendoza. Mendoza tells Ray to bring him the Gold of Juarez or he will kill Molly. Ray heads back into Juarez and acquires a Gatling Gun. He storms Mendoza's fort and kills a vast number of banditos. However Mendoza mortally wounds Ray. Dying, Ray kills Mendoza before the outlaw has a chance to kill Billy.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel
In the 1990s, archaeologists had discovered the remaining Gold of Juarez and put it in the National Museum in Juarez. A man named Juan Mendoza became the boss of a drug cartel and had plans of buying weapons off of a rogue PMC. To cover his tracks Mendoza had a group of men bomb the DEA headquarters in Los Angeles. This prompted the United States Department of Justice to create the Interagency Task Force to shut down the Mendoza Cartel. After almost a month of investigations, the team cornered Mendoza at a cemetery. However Mendoza escaped, and headed for a nearby neighborhood. The team almost caught up with him, however Juan escaped yet again and sought shelter in his hacienda.

There the team cornered him only for the cartel boss to be killed by a predator drone. The team searched a cellar for their suspect, Antonio Alvarez, only for one of the members, FBI agent Kim Evans to reveal that Alvarez is actually an informant. DEA agent Eddie Guerra begs the team to split the money Juan has three ways, while LAPD detective Ben McCall wants to kill Alvarez. The team engages in a Mexican standoff. Kim reluctantly allows Ben to carry out the execution. However Ben merely walks away. Eddie slumps to the floor knowing that he is going to go to jail, and Kim walks up to Alvarez and kicks him in the face. Eddie and Kim are both arrested for implications in murders, and Alvarez is put in Witness Protection.

Notable Natives and Residents

 * Juan "Juarez" Mendoza - Outlaw leader


 * Marisa McCall- Juan Mendoza's former wife


 * Juan Mendoza- Boss of the Mendoza Cartel


 * Jesús Mendoza- Son of Juan Mendoza


 * Arturo- Farmer


 * The Cemetery Boy- Son of Arturo


 * Pancho- Juarez Gang member


 * Jorge- Juarez Gang Member


 * Santos- Juarez Gang Member


 * Emilio- Mendoza Cartel footman


 * Paco- Mendoza Cartel footman


 * Borubaro Pereiro- Citizen

Trivia

 * Call of Juarez: The Cartel is the first game in the series where the player actually enters the city of Juarez.
 * Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is the first game in the series in which Juarez, or the surrounding desert is not physically located, but only mentioned.