They've tried guns for 4 decades and look where it's got them. I'm not saying hugs are the answer. You still have to punish the existing bad guys. But guns definitively are not the long-term answer. It's time for a different approach - one which prevents new bad guys.
Hmmm I'd say it only began in earnest in the 90s. And then you look at the previous Democrat goverment and its cross border gun trafficking operations which certainly didn't help.
What I can tell you is it's probably never been so brazen. Couple weeks back they shot the chief of Police of Mexico City in broad daylight in one of the nicest (most expensive) neighborhoods in the country. They killed his bodyguards and gravely injured him despite of having an armored SUV. An attempt like that was unheard of so far
The "war on drugs" dates back to the 70s or 80s, starting from either the Nixon or Reagan administrations (depending on which way you look at it). Even if we take the 90s as a starting point, that's an entire generation lost to pointless violence. Entire governments corrupted by the deluge of narco profits.
The "cross border gun trafficking operations" you're referring to involved about 2k guns, of which 1/3 were recovered. Terrible bungling, surely, but a drop in the bucket.[1]
The CIA/Contra cocaine trafficking was probably far more consequential.[2]
The brazenness of the cartels comes from the insane profits they earn. They can buy off anyone, and if they can't they can hire anyone to get rid of them. And their insane profits are due to how scarce and illegal their products are in the US. Take away their economic base and they become far more vulnerable.
Cartels have killed hundreds of Mexican government figures, including presidential candidates. I'm not sure the police chief of cdmx is a much higher profile target.
A decade ago, Chapo was burning tractor trailers on all the major highways in plazas to box his enemies in, fighting them for hours in broad daylight.
With that said, the homicides in Mexico have absolutely exploded under the current US and Mexican administrations, CJNG shot a helicopter down, etc. It's sad this escalation doesn't get more attention.
