Part 3/15:
Recent signs of increased military involvement include the use of Navy spy planes monitoring cartel activity directly inside Mexican territory. Experts warn that confronting the cartels militarily would be a highly complex, dangerous, and messy undertaking. Unlike typical crime syndicates, cartels control substantial territory, using violence and intimidation to enforce their dominance. They possess military-grade equipment, including drones, armored vehicles, and even advanced weaponry like grenade launchers and Javelin missiles. Some reports suggest cartels have also acquired U.S. military hardware via black markets.