Federal authorities have documented crimes associated with drug violence in Mexico – including murder and kidnapping – in 195 cities across the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Nov. 16.

As a result of Project Reckoning, an 18-month investigation tracking U.S. criminal activity by Mexican cartels, 507 people have been arrested, and authorities have seized more than $60 million in cash, 16,000 kilograms of cocaine, half a ton of methamphetamine, 19 pounds of heroin, and 51 pounds of marijuana.

The effects of Mexico's drug war have hit almost every state in the country, with only Vermont and West Virginia untouched by drug smuggling operations, and some cities hosting multiple cartels. Incidents have included a man tortured in a vacant home in suburban Atlanta, multiple murders and kidnappings in the San Diego area tied to the Arellano Felix cartel, the kidnapping of a six-year-old boy from his Las Vegas home, and the brutal murder of two boys in Texas.

Understanding why and how cartels chose specific urban regions is still difficult, said Chuck Miller, a spokesman for the National Drug Intelligence Center.

"It could be one of them may know someone in one part of the country, and have established routes for up there," Miller said. "It could be geographic locations that are operating in Mexico or adjacent to other areas. Or there could be affiliations with individuals residing in specific locations."