The wall will have a huge impact on the cartel
Haha that’s a good one
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The wall will have nearly zero impact on the cartels. They’re not bringing in 50 lb at a time in backpacks, they’re using shipping containers and 18 wheelers to bring in tons at a time through official ports of entry, often with the assistance of a poorly paid public servant (Border Patrol, Sheriff, etc).
As for the weed being sold in the US, I understand that a huge amount is domestic product. Much easier to grow here and transport across state lines than the risk and expense of getting across international border. Especially with a large volume drug like marijuana. There’s also a lot of “legal” weed that’s transported illegally into the relatively few states that don’t have legal weed.
I understand that the cartels are behind a lot of the illegal growing operations in the US. I imagine they’re also involved in the legal operations too. Kinda like the casinos and the Mob. Except for Fertitta, that is. 
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They used to own a major Vegas casino–20 years ago. I don’t know about now. But you can buy pretty capable drones all over town…
El Chapo
I had Baja California, BCS Mexico for 13 years as my territory. I traveled by car and planes. from Tijuana to San Jose Del Cabo/Cabo San Lucas, La Paz. Loretto and all the way to Sonoran state.
A little bit of perspective,
Mexico has every natural resources you can think of. It is one of the richest, natural resources in the world.
A few “families” have taken control of the country since its inception.
Televisa “controls” the media market. They are like an octopus.
The PRI was primarily a “dictatorship” from 1928 to 2000 before Vicente Fox came to power. Even when Fox(PAN) was duly elected the PRI tried to take him out a few times.
Make no mistakes, when the PAN took power the key economical/industrial and military roles were still in PRI hands. For those of us that I have dealt with PEMEX they are as corrupt and as dangerous as before.
What Fox was trying to do was to lessen the “reins” of such corruption. He did try his best but the most sordid deal happened.
When the PRI was in power the “state” and the cartels had a deal.
“Don’t bother us and we will keep a low key”
This resulted in the cartels keeping their “territory” isolated from the others.
El Chapo and others were “in charge”
At the same time “drugs” exportation toward the U.S. and Europe was steady and “well” managed
Fox and the PAN came to power. They misjudged how powerful the cartels had become. At this single point of Mexican history the pendulum swung. El Chapo that had “cemented” the cartels saw the entire alliance blow up in his face. He got captured. It got worse, way worse. He escaped, things got 100% better but the damage had been done. Pena Nieto tried to"deal" again with cartels but again the damage had been done.
El Chapo is now in U.S. custody. The turf war is at full swing with no end in sights.
How did it get this bad?
The PRI was in power for decades. The U.S. government tried to help but how can you help a party that has been corrupted since its inception?
It made things way worse when we found out that “Helder” issued guns made its way to the cartels. How did this happen and why has not been answered. The fact is that it should have never happened. Not only did it lessen our influence in trying to help an horrible situation it sent a signal to every cartel that they are in charge.
Now what is really happening in Mexican towns?
You always have two sides to a Mexican town. You have an infrastructure with Church, plaza, hospitals, businesses, hotels etc…Then you have what you can call a distinctive set of barrios or neighborhoods. The poorest Barrios are exploited to the max by the cartels. This is usually where you will have a turf war.
On one of my trips to La Paz I was told that the XYZ cartel had gunned 16 people in a few days. My customers/friends told me not to go. The perception was bad, real bad. Since I have long standing friends I did call them. The killings happened in these poor barrios and typically late into the night. I went and I went through a countless numbers of check points. These check points are with Mexican Marines NOT LOCAL POLICE. Here is why and you guys have mentioned it already. Most of the Mexican local police has been bought. They are as corrupt as can be. The Mexican Marines “move” around the country and it is a very large country. In 13 years I lost track of how many check points I have seen, gone through in the middle of nowhere, small villages and large cities.
Is it safe to go to Mexico?
You can’t go right now because of COVID-19. Our COVID-19 infections/death rate is not even close to what is happening in Mexico right now. You can be sure the numbers are “corrupted”
In normal times tourist areas are protected. Why you may ask? It is a huge part of the Mexican economy but remember who is in charge. The ones on charge will never lose their fortune. The same tourist areas can have some “killings hick ups” It happened at the Chileno Bay beach and Palmilla beaches in San Jose Del Cabo a few years ago but it is extremely rare.
Do I feel safe there? I am fortunate to speak spanish. So I am fine. Would I travel to the poor barrios? I had to do it for 13 years…I did it during daylight, right around 10am to lunch time but never, never past sun-down. I love Mexico and the Mexican people. You also have to remember that Mexico is a very distinctive society. You have the Mexican Indians that are largely exploited, poor and highly vulnerable. The other is a “blend” of Mexican Indians and Spanish/Spanish European descent. You also have a sizeable german population post nazi germany. It is one of the many “silenced secrets” of Mexico. Then you have the mostly Spanish related population. I almost forgot. You also have a large chinese/Mexican population. Mexicali is more Chinese that China town in San Francisco.
Would I go to Mexico again? Yes.
I have other “memories” since I stopped going in 2016. Casinos, Supermercados, Mini Super you name it. By the way seafood is amazing in Mexico I highly recommend it.
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I mainly travel by bus when I am down there. Mexican buses are much better than American buses! The checkpoints heading back to the border are always interesting. I take basketball teams down there and it is always fun to see guys faces when a couple dudes with assault rifles come on the bus asking for passport and visa. I’ve been to something like 13 or 14 Mexican states, Sinaloa (Mazatlan specifically) is on the top of my list to go to next. Beautiful city which is picking up tourism even though its in the middle of cartel area.
As for Covid, just like the other 3rd world countries, it is running wild in the poor areas of the big cities. I am not looking down on anybody flying into Cancun/Cozumel/Cabo because those areas aren’t bad and the resorts are empty. You would be more likely to catch covid in the airport or on the flight than in Mexico.
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I had the pleasure to go D.F Mexico (Mexico City).
Merida, Yucatan capital
Drove from Merida to Cancun
Oaxaca
Sonora state
For all of you thinking about going down to Mexico?
Go and know where you are heading. Listen to your sixth sense and study the area that you want to visit. It is always better that way.
Mexico is an amazing country I highly recommend it.
One of the best movies if not the best about the Spanish “invaders” entering Central America.
Mel Gibson created a masterpiece. It is a must see.
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Great film most have not seen.
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Great film indeed!!
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I liked it, though it does muddle history
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Current article about cartels, the money they give to the Catholic Church and how religious these MFs are. It blows the mind considering how evil they are.
They are really twisted. Even the religious mafia are like…dang guys.
Many OCG have initiation ceremonies that often look like religious ceremonies.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inside-the-criminal-mind/201604/the-criminal-religious-person
One of mankinds many twisted phenomenon I won’t ever totally understand. I will probably will understand the twisted mind of an Islamic terrorist better.
What would Jesus say?
Very true and it seems the partnership between cartels and terrorist groups will evolve.
I think of that scene in The Godfather, the baptism murder segment.
Though we keep an eye on foreign cartels and terror groups. We have domestic terror groups to worry about here.
I recommend “el chapo” or narcos on Netflix for another perspective on this challenge.
I know there have been talk about it. But if the cartels are religious as they say, pretty much oil and water between Islamic terrorists and hard core Catholic Drug Cartels. I don’t see any alighment. No religious alignment. One wants to destroy America and bring it to its needs and the other wants to exploit Ameirca to make more and more money. I don’t see any complimentary alignment.
They enjoy using the same horriffic tactics of death, but that is about it.
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