The cartels have been around for a very long time. They represent commerce, and the Mexican economy would be very different without them. The actual “saving” of El Capo’s son was a mistake. It show the cartel’s hand, something they don’t want. Keeping a low presence is critical after the arrest and conviction of El Capo. It left no doubt that there was an enormous drug industry, much of it ending up in the United States. Does this bring the “border wall” back into focus? No, not at all. Drugs aren’t coming in through typical border entries (enormous amounts comes through the Caribbean). At roughly $30 million a pop, who’s going to risk traditional entry points? Again, this was a major mistake drawing attention to the cartels, an it’s hard to know how powerful El Capo’s son really is at this stage. The whole thing could have been handled through the courts. Creating a photo-op that looks like a Syrian war is terrible publicity. They’ve essential created filler for the slow news days waiting for the impeachment process to move along. Now the news organizations are in their element. Nothing like guns going off and buses burning. It was a huge mistake initiating this, and some cartel members will see it that way. Expect more carnage. This is the start of a long war between cartels and a weak, ineffective Mexican president. Really, really stupid.