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Historically, efforts to confront the drug cartels have been ongoing since the Nixon era, beginning with Operation Intercept in 1969. These initial measures primarily involved border security enhancements rather than full-scale military action. The Reagan administration later declared drug trafficking a national security threat, providing intelligence, training, and logistical support to Latin American countries. However, despite decades of effort, cartels have only grown more sophisticated, armed, and entrenched, often functioning less like traditional criminal syndicates and more like insurgencies or paramilitary groups.