SAN DIEGO -- It was almost one year ago to the day that Jesus Alberto Capella was hired to clean up the corruption in the Tijuana Police Department.

Not many thought he would live through the first year of his job, but the man known as the "Tijuana Rambo" is still fighting.

The news is almost daily -- brutal attacks in an ongoing war that has claimed hundreds of lives in a little more than a month.

Capella is the man right in the middle of it.

"Of course nobody is happy about what they see in the news. But it's the cost; it’s not easy," said Capella.

Capella was hired to stop the violence among rival drug cartels in Tijuana. For that, he is a marked man.

10News' Steve Atkinson asked Capella, "Is this how you expected to live your life? I see a bodyguard here, a bodyguard there ..."

Capella replied, "No, but somebody has to do this job."

Capella is not only fighting the cartels. He is also fighting corruption within his own police force. He has already fired 100 officers -- and more to come.

Just days after 10News' interview with Capella, 21 officers were taken into custody, suspected of having links to the cartels.

Actions like those have made Capella even more of a target. On the day of 10News' interview, Capella was accompanied by 16 bodyguards.

Capella has traveled with a convoy of bodyguards ever since a late-night assassination attempt.

He said killers surrounded his home. He was all alone and he ended up in a shootout with at least 20 gunmen.

Although the battle lasted several minutes and he lived just blocks from the main police station, there was no immediate response from his own department.

"So to beat the crime you have to fight the internal problems first?" asked Atkinson.

" ... But the criminals, they are not going to wait for me to resolve my problems," said Capella.

The criminals wasted no time taking advantage of an understaffed police force. Bodies have been dumped in vacant lots near schools. Some have been beheaded, others found in vats of acid.

The news has taken its toll on the people who live in Tijuana as well as tourism.

Capella is determined to stop the violence, and admits that it could take years.

"I don't want that history for my kids. In my mind, my feelings I feel comfortable that I am trying to do something. I am sure we are going to win this war. My only concern is am I going to see the results," said Capella.

Atkinson asked, "You are confident you can win. But over 150 deaths in the last 30 days alone, are you afraid it's going backwards?"

"No, no. I think that is a risk we knew that could happen or maybe it was going to happen," said Capella.

With the cartels fighting for control and the recent arrest of a major figure in the Arrellano-Felix family, Capella said that will only add to the rival cartels' struggle for power.

However, in the end, the man known as the "Tijuana Rambo" said the war against cartels and corruption can still be won.

“How do you feel about being called the 'Tijuana Rambo'? asked Atkinson.

"I don't know. I'm going to have a little problem with Sylvester Stallone I think, no?" said Capella.

Capella continues to take unprecedented steps to end the corruption within his department.

Five days ago, 500 police officers were temporarily relieved of duty for a month retraining and extensive background checks.

Those officers determined to be unfit or found to have ties to the cartels will be dropped from the force.