>>508739884Legalization is, unfortunately, now a completely obsolete tactic for undermining the cartels. They operate like large corporations. They have codes of business, open conflict and hierarchical chaos is becoming increasingly less common, negotiations are more the norm nowadays, and there are certain things cartels are willing to do in certain areas under certain circumstances, and other things they aren’t willing to. They operate somewhat like governments as well, knowing when and were to intimidate government officials or a government as a whole, and when and where not to do it, and to what extent.
Even worse than that, is that they have now tried to move to more “legitimate” business. For years, ignorant people in the United States have laughed at stories about militarized federal agents intercepting cartel agents smuggling fruits and vegetables across the border or domestically, not realizing how lucrative it is, and how not taking it seriously is exactly what the cartels want, because it’s perceived as less threatening and still makes them a ton of money. They own front companies that own front companies that cooperate with other front companies that cooperate with American and international business, with the innocent legitimate businesses often being by none the wiser.
Because of all this, putting pressure on the cartels is more important than ever, and yet most people see this transition as a good thing, and therefore feel like it is less important than ever to crush them. It’s the highest level of organized crime we’ve seen since government evolved from hunter-gatherer bandit tribes extorting farmer populations for “protection money” from other tribes which would otherwise raid them