You forget that this is not a war of police vs. drug cartels, it's a war of drug cartels vs. drug cartels; the only options the people and government have are to provide or get out of the way. The violence is not going to stop until one cartel rains supreme; human trafficking and selling drugs to minors is just too much money to pass up, especially now when they have to pay for extra security/hit men and profits are running thin. Hell, drug cartel members have taken kidnapping and bank robbery as supplemental income.

These are true statements, but having the police leave you alone means that a lot of money can be diverted, especially if the police give you a heads up about other cartels.

_________________
Zeph do you ever tire of being perfect? ~Dave
Zeph is still awesome though. ~Rival
I love you so much right now Zeph. ~Yoshi
I love you Zeph. You and your simple yet humorous topic-breakers. ~Coos
Zeph has left me inspired. ~Mathias
Zeph is so awesome even soulless bits of binary worship him. ~Wizard
Curse YOU ZEPH! CURSE YOU! ~JesusChrist
WE ARE SORRY THAT WE ARE NOT AS PERFECT AS YOU, ZEPH! ~Stufflikehearts
Zepherin for forum queen and writer of the best seller "how to screw your brethen up for dummies". ~ The Mirak

The police can't choose between cartels, especially when either side can kill you just as easily. The police is stuck in the middle of the war, they know this and try to stay away as far as possible. The problem is not that some police officers are trying to stop the drug cartels, it's that both drug cartels want the police behind them. It's a loose/loose scenario, where you have to pick one of the sides and the other kills you. It's not all the police who's in this situation, only key players; the problem is that there has to be some one on the payroll to help with the heads ups and escorts, etc... so there's always someone to kill. As soon as the key players are dead, new ones are found, then later killed. Scrub, rinse, repeat.

The police can choose between cartels. You pick the one that has the most influence in your area and as part of the services your department offers is a heads up when a new member walks into town. If the cartel says it is one of theirs you update your files.

I think the most practical solution for the government is to grow their own drugs. Grow it on such a massive scale and corporatise it. Then turn the border towns into something like a New Amsterdam like system. It'll pretty much wreck the drug economy because corporations do it cheaper and more efficiently than criminal organizations. And corporations know how to protect themselves against illicit organizations. Shit Debears operates in areas that are far worst than anything Mexico could have ever dreamed up and nobody in those areas fucks with them, and for good reason. Make it so that competition brings the margin down to a hairline in Mexico and all the Gringos come in to buy their drugs take the risk when they try to smuggle it back. Juarez will be the new capital of North America drug tourism.

_________________
Zeph do you ever tire of being perfect? ~Dave
Zeph is still awesome though. ~Rival
I love you so much right now Zeph. ~Yoshi
I love you Zeph. You and your simple yet humorous topic-breakers. ~Coos
Zeph has left me inspired. ~Mathias
Zeph is so awesome even soulless bits of binary worship him. ~Wizard
Curse YOU ZEPH! CURSE YOU! ~JesusChrist
WE ARE SORRY THAT WE ARE NOT AS PERFECT AS YOU, ZEPH! ~Stufflikehearts
Zepherin for forum queen and writer of the best seller "how to screw your brethen up for dummies". ~ The Mirak