Fear has struck the people along the US-Mexico border. Government authorities of the two nations have implemented techniques to secure the Rio Grande against drug trafficking, immigration, and terrorism. This article explores the issues and policies that have led to the escalation of violence on the US-Mexico border and the'politics of fear'. Firstly, Mexican and US governmental authorities are examined in the context of their actions against the various drug cartels. Secondly, the impact of such actions on the nations' publics is ana lysed. The authors combine the theoretical conceptions of the'media spectacle'and the politics of fear that create a'spectacle of fear'to explain events in the region. Finally, the authors provide a theoretical interpretation of the politics and administration of security policies regarding the impact of violence in this border region, employing primarily the works of Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt, which are central to any discussion of the phenomena of politics and societal violence. Overall, this work seeks to interpret the'cul ture of fear'forced on citizens and the conflict between power and violence. Keywords: border violence, politics of fear, media spectacle, drug war, policy interpretation.

Resumen: Vigilancia Administrativa y Miedo: Implicaciones para la Gobernanza y las Relaciones Fronterizas México-Estados Unidos