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EL PASO – With the escalating drug violence in Mexico, El Paso real estate agents are showing more and more homes to buyers from Juarez, who are fleeing to the United States.

11 News

“They are pretty much looking for something nice and something big,” said Linda Uribe, real estate agent.

But mostly, they are looking for something safe.

“I really characterize this as a civil war, even if it's not formally declared. We're seeing all the casualties of a war. People are murdered and wounded, and people are fleeing their homes. There is social disintegration and chaos,” said Howard Campbell, University of Texas in El Paso.

Those who have the money are coming to find peace in El Paso. The city has one of the lowest crime rates in the U.S.

“Some of the people have 20 security agents working for them full time. They travel with a car in front and a car in back with a machine gun on each side just for protection,” said Uribe.

Uribe’s real estate company also helps families from Mexico relocate businesses to the Texas side of the border.

The trend is expected to continue. In fact, border realtors see the mortgage crisis in the U.S. being overshadowed by a security crisis in Mexico.