Photographer’s Raw Images Explore the War on Drugs
For more than twenty years, documentary photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie has worked inside some of the world’s most volatile environments, from front-line trenches in the Middle East to fragile, contested communities across Africa. With his new project, Drug Wars: Supply and Demand, Alpeyrie brings that same sensibility to one of the Western Hemisphere’s most complex and destabilizing issues: the international narcotics trade.
Some readers may find the photographs in this story disturbing. They depict drug use, violence, and death. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
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Jonathan Alpeyrie’s images carry the weight of lived history. They are patient, quiet, and composed in a way that reflects both discipline and deep human awareness, crucial for a creating a series like Drug Wars: Supply and Demand. The project spans more than three hundred photographs, each made through extensive field access and long-term immersion. What emerges is a body of work that maps a vast geopolitical crisis while remaining grounded in the lived realities of the people caught within it. Instead of focusing on spectacle, Alpeyrie turns his attention toward the subtler rhythms of survival, tension, and the delicate spaces where control is fragile and violence is always nearby.
Inside the Global Drug Trade
In Drug Wars, Alpeyrie follows narcotics from rural production zones in Latin America to high-demand markets in North America, documenting the infrastructure, the actors, and the human consequences that power the trade. His approach is observational, patient, and methodical. Rather than relying on dramatic moments, he captures the pauses between them: the stillness after a raid, the exhaustion of investigators at dawn, the wary calm of a cartel town where people have learned to avoid notice.
“The drug war is a conflict in its own right — with front lines, power struggles, and human costs that mirror traditional warfare,” Alpeyrie explains.
This perspective shapes every part of the project. It is a long-term effort to reveal the global drug economy not as an abstract system but as a lived, daily reality. His access is rare, but it is his restraint that sets the work apart. He avoids sensationalism, opting instead for clean compositions that show the weight of place and the unguarded expressions of the people living inside these conditions.
“I want to create images that preserve the truth of a moment and stand as part of the historical record,” Alpeyrie says.
The result is a visual narrative that examines the drug trade as a system of power, conflict, and survival, one built on countless individual stories that often remain unseen. Many of the images are unsettling in the raw truth they expose, hard to look at, and harder to face, knowing this is the harsh reality for so many.
A Documentarian Formed by Conflict
Alpeyrie’s path into photography began long before his first professional assignment. His upbringing in a family with a strong military lineage shaped his understanding of the world and the human realities behind conflict. Those early experiences taught him not only discipline but also a deep curiosity about the unseen forces that shape societies.
“I grew up in a family with a deep military background, and that environment shaped how I understood the world from an early age,” Alpeyrie says.
The stories he heard in childhood did not push him toward combat. Instead, they led him to witness and document the experiences of others. Photography became a way for him to explore conflict while maintaining the distance needed to observe with clarity.
“Instead of becoming a soldier myself, I found my place alongside them, telling the stories of fighters, civilians, and entire communities caught in conflict,” Alpeyrie says.
This foundation has informed every project he has taken on, including his work on the drug war. It has created a visual identity rooted in patience, respect, and a sense of obligation to record realities that are often overlooked or misunderstood.
A Disciplined and Intentional Visual Style
Alpeyrie’s photography is defined by simplicity and precision. He favors natural composition over technical flourish, choosing moments that reveal the quiet truths within volatile environments. His style is influenced by classical documentary traditions, but it is grounded in the instincts he has sharpened through years of working in conflict zones. He often speaks of knowing precisely what he wants before he ever raises the camera.
“I like to photograph simply — almost like composing a painting — taking only a few frames because I usually know exactly what I’m looking for before I press the shutter,” Alpeyrie says.
This approach is strengthened by the trust he builds over long stretches embedded with the people he photographs. The resulting images feel unforced and honest. They do not rely on drama but on the accumulated tension of environments where everyday life bends under the weight of conflict.
“Visually, I aim for clean, intentional compositions that highlight the human presence within chaotic environments,” Alpeyrie says.
In both war zones and narcotics corridors, his method remains the same. He waits for the moment that reveals something essential about the human experience unfolding in front of him.
Challenges Behind the Camera
Documenting the drug trade presents challenges that are logistical, emotional, and deeply personal. Gaining access can take months. Trust must be earned slowly, whether from local police, federal agencies, or communities living under the influence of cartels.
“Earning the trust of people who operate in high-risk or closed environments can take weeks or even months,” Alpeyrie says.
There are also constant safety calculations. Working inside unstable environments requires awareness, preparation, and the difficult discipline of knowing when not to take a photograph.
“Working alongside armed groups, police units, or in unstable regions demands situational awareness… and sometimes the difficult judgment of knowing when not to take a photograph,” Alpeyrie says.
Beyond physical danger, there is the emotional toll that comes with documenting suffering, violence, and trauma. Alpeyrie speaks openly about this weight and about the responsibility that pushes him to keep working.
“Witnessing human suffering day after day can take a toll, but the goal is always to create images that carry historical value and truth,” Alpeyrie says.
These challenges shape not only his process but the depth and seriousness of the resulting work.
Craft, Technique, and Workflow
Alpeyrie’s workflow reflects a balance of preparation, instinct, and discipline. Before beginning any new project, he studies the political and cultural landscape of the area he is entering. He learns the rhythms of communities, institutions, and geographic regions so he can anticipate what is likely to unfold.
Once embedded, he prioritizes observation and patience. He moves quietly, watches for patterns, and waits for moments that reveal emotional truth. His shooting style favors intention over volume, and his editing process aims to return the photograph to how the moment actually felt. He describes his approach to framing and composition as partly instinctive and partly the product of careful thought.
“Much of my framing is instinctive, but every decision is made with the goal of serving the story first,” Alpeyrie says.
His equipment remains simple by design. The goal is always mobility and discretion.
“Gear is important only if it never gets in the way of the work,” Alpeyrie says.
This approach allows him to maintain focus on the environment, the people, and the unfolding story rather than on technical concerns.
Recurring Themes in His Work
Throughout his career, Alpeyrie has returned repeatedly to themes that define his worldview as a documentarian. He is drawn to people living within systems of power, conflict, and uncertainty. He is fascinated by institutions such as armies, police forces, and cartels, and the ways individuals navigate life inside or around them. He pays close attention to moments where authority is tested or unstable.
“The subjects I return to are people living in the shadow of larger forces… their stories are what drive my work,” Alpeyrie says.
This guiding focus shapes Drug Wars, where every image is connected to the human experience at the heart of an enormous geopolitical system.
Work of Lasting Personal and Historical Importance
Among the many regions he has documented, Northern Mexico remains one of the most impactful. His photographs from the aftermath of cartel violence stand out for their restraint and historical weight. Rather than focusing on shock or spectacle, Alpeyrie composes these scenes to reveal the gravity and vulnerability of communities shaped by conflict.
“These photographs were not about sensationalizing violence; they were about capturing the stark realities of the conflict and the human consequences behind the headlines,” Alpeyrie says.
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This philosophy drives his belief that documentary photography should serve as evidence and as a record, preserving moments that help future viewers understand the world as it truly was.
Future Aspirations and Long-Term Vision
Looking to the future, Alpeyrie aims to continue deepening his examination of social conflict, geopolitical struggle, and the global systems that shape human lives. He plans to expand his long-term documentation of the drug trade and hopes to develop more immersive projects that unfold over months or years.
“I’m experimenting with longer-term, immersive projects… to reveal subtler dynamics and more nuanced human stories,” Alpeyrie says.
He is equally interested in exploring multimedia approaches that combine photography with research, historical analysis, and collaborative storytelling.
“Ultimately, my aspiration is to create work that not only informs but endures,” Alpeyrie says.
A Record of a Crisis Still Unfolding
Drug Wars: Supply and Demand stands as an essential document of an evolving humanitarian and geopolitical crisis. Through patience, discipline, and a deep sense of responsibility, Jonathan Alpeyrie has created a visual narrative that goes beyond headlines and statistics. His work reveals the human stories hidden in the shadows of global forces.
“These photographs reveal how people live in the shadow of larger forces,” Alpeyrie says.
The result is a body of work that is powerful, grounded, and historically vital.
Image credits: Drug Wars: Supply and Demand by Jonathan Alpeyrie, copyright © 2025. Published by G Editions / www.geditionsllc.com