I watched The Last Narc, a docudrama with no actors, but eye witnesses to what was really going on. . Also watched Narco:Mexico, this one a TV series with actors, good also.
I live fairly close to the Mexico border since I was 10 years old, around San Diego. Familiar with TJ, Otay Mesa, Mexicali Tecate (where the beer is made), and all the other lesser known border /village crossing points in between. From talking to others over the years, with more up close working knowledge than me and from some personal insight (and a bit of understanding of Spanish...I'm not Latin), The Last Narc is pretty much right on. Hector at the bar didn't tell the full story, of course, don't think he wanted to anyway to cover himself. His pension and other perks would be stopped.
CIA vs DEA mainly (there can be other government agency's involved) and who gets the best deals with the cartels and which cartel they are working with at the moment, against which other cartel. And all pretty much directed from Washington DC. . Cartel members and their family's vacation in SoCal at casino's, go to baseball, soccer, boxing and football games all the time. Government never questions or bothers them at all. Fly in or drive in, all Seem to have a free pass entering and leaving the states.
The federal government of Mexico, almost completely controlled from the top down by cartel money and drug influence. There are still many brave men with honor in Mexico, but the odds are against them. I've been told (many times) by people who know, that drug input from Mexico could be halted by at least 50% quite fast, if certain things were put into action, with orders coming from DC and if the government of Mexico was serious with working with the U.S.... .That's their story anyway. Columbia has very nearly stopped coke plantations/exports and cleaned up their act (last I heard). With any hope, Mexico could be next.
