American corporations are using the North American Free Trade Agreement by opening large maquiladoras right across the United States–Mexico border. The maquiladoras hire mostly Mexican women to work long hours for little money in order to produce mass quantity products. Lauren Adrian, an impassioned American news reporter for the Chicago Sentinel wants to be assigned to the Iraq front-lines to cover the war. Instead, her editor George Morgan assigns her to investigate a series of slayings involving young maquiladora factory women in a Mexican bordertown.

When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of Pete Perkins, the latter is reminded of a promise he made to bury his friend, Melquiades Estrada, in his Mexican home town. He kidnaps Norton and exhumes Estrada's corpse, and the odd caravan sets out on horseback for Mexico.

A married, middle-aged well-known biochemist and university teacher Augusto, leaves his wife, his job and the comfort of his life to go after Marlene, a 14-year-old teenager with extraordinary beauty who burst into his life unexpectedly. One day, Marlene is taken from the custody of Augustus by Genaro, a psychotic sailor, who seduces and finally kidnaps her by taking to the ominous port of Tampico, where Augustus will seek her to try to free her, not without giving her life to pain and atonement, undergoing a deep personal transformation.

Ramón Aguirre is an old actor from the time of the Mexican Golden Cinema, whose years of fame are completely over. Locked away in his apartment in Tacubaya, afflicted by his unfortunate physical condition, as well as by the resounding change suffered in his city, Ramón only has two hobbies left, writing his memories and regrets in a small diary, mainly that of having lost the love of his life, Silvia, and spy through a small crack on his neighbor, Pedro, who is a writer who suffers from artistic block and constant phone fights with his fiancée, and with whom Ramón has developed a peculiar bond, despite of never having exchanged any word.

Alma returns to Mexico seeking the man who caused the loss of her childhood home. He is not easily found, but the road to him brings her closer to her late father, and the secrets he took with him to his grave.

Tells the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos and his mother, Rosario. In the hopes of providing a better life for her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while her mother cares for Carlitos back in Mexico.

A famous drug kingpin escapes from prison. The mexican president wants him back in jail whereas the U.S. government wants him dead.

After a ten year absence, El Chato returns to San Ignacio, his hometown, in order to retrieve a shipment of cocaine that was dropped there by a cartel pilot.

A man searches for his father, Pedro Páramo, in a town doomed by violence and the fury of a frustrated love.