Part 4/12:
This development signifies a drastic shift: historically, cartel violence has remained confined mainly to drug trafficking, corruption, and violent turf disputes but has seldom extended to direct assaults on law enforcement within the United States. Now, the cartels appear to be engaging in overt acts of intimidation and violence, blurring the lines between organized crime and open armed conflict against U.S. authorities.
A DHS spokesperson described this as an "escalation of unprecedented proportions," emphasizing that these threats go beyond criminal enterprise—they are acts of intimidation aimed at destabilizing and intimidating American law enforcement agencies.