In Mexico, the federal government has given groups of armed civilians until this weekend to demobilize or join a new rural defense force. The militias have been fighting a powerful drug cartel and their efforts resonate deeply with hundreds of thousands of people in California, who have roots in the western Mexican state. 

It's a story we've been following closely on this program. Last month, we looked at ties between families in Los Angeles and Michoacan. 

For the California Report, Michael Montgomery traveled to the region to see how the situation is playing out on both sides of the border.