All Desert Roads: the Origins of Arizona's Drug Wars

After a decades-old war on drugs, Arizona retains the dubious distinction of serving as one of the premier drug corridors into the United States. Previously unexamined are the historical roots of this policy in the Grand Canyon state. Sean Duffy details the role race and ethnicity played in the earliest implementation of drug laws in Arizona in the first decades of the 20th century. He explores the local and state formation of drug policy and the first federal efforts to thwart illicit smuggling from Mexico. Along with stories of informants, wretched addicts, and an intentionally murdered FBI agent, Duffy provides compelling evidence of participation in illicit activities from upper echelon players. Part historiographical, part mystery, with a sprinkle of social commentary, All Desert Roads is an intriguing look into the origins of Arizona's drug wars.