If you’re not from Mexico you might not have heard of Tepito, but if you have bought a counterfeit product in Mexico, it probably passed through there.

Tepito, known as Barrio Bravo or “the fierce neighborhood,” is located in the Cuauhtémoc section of Mexico City. Known for its black market, violence, arms dealers and absence of law enforcement. Despite the vast improvements in security and tourism in the rest of Mexico City, Tepito remains untouchable.

As a visitor to Mexico City, one is advised to stay away, but if you do choose to go, visit only in the day and stay on the main street.

An excellent report from CCTV gives us an insider’s view of Teptio. The host explains how counterfeit goods are shipped from China to Belize, smuggled to Tepito and stored above the market. From here, these goods are shipped all over Mexico.

Below is a peak at the secret storage units in Tepito.

At Tepito you can find counterfeit items of every sort as well as weapons and hitmen. The video shows signs put up by gangs, looking to recruit new members offering large sums of money and a way out of Tepito.

Police have no control over Tepito so it exists as an autonomous zone under the control of cartels. Authorities turn a blind eye in exchange for money, meaning local law enforcement works for the cartels.

According to an interview with a local arms dealer, all the cartels come to Tepito to buy weapons. Below is an image of the dealer showing his product on his cellphone.

Click here to watch full video.