This conversation between Anderson Cooper and an unidentified member of a drug cartel in Mexico helps explain what's always behind the decision to torture suspects:
UNIDENTIFIED DRUG CARTEL MEMBER: Yes, they do. They have got their ways of showing people who's killing who, where's it coming from. They have got ways of torturing people and killing people them the way they do, so that all the cartels will know who it's -- who it's coming from.
COOPER: Torture is common?
UNIDENTIFIED DRUG CARTEL MEMBER: Yes, it is.
COOPER: Why? Just to get information?
UNIDENTIFIED DRUG CARTEL MEMBER: To -- not to get information. Just the pleasure of doing it. They make it pleasurable, pleasurable (INAUDIBLE) doing it.
COOPER: So, it doesn't -- it doesn't yield useful information; it's just doing it because they enjoy it?
UNIDENTIFIED DRUG CARTEL MEMBER: Yes. Information, they have information from the government, so they have all the information they can get. Most of the -- most of the -- most of the torture is for pleasure.
COOPER: Does it also send a message? Does it also strike fear into the hearts of...
UNIDENTIFIED DRUG CARTEL MEMBER: Into the public, into other people, into other customers, you know, people in the business.
COOPER: Are there any rules of people who can't be killed? I mean, are -- or is anybody safe, women and children?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED DRUG CARTEL MEMBER: No.
COOPER: Doesn't matter?