Part 7/13:
This interconnectedness makes dislodging them extremely difficult, as they operate across borders, leveraging legitimacy to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. The old idea of a drug cartel simply trafficking illicit substances is outdated; today's organizations are multi-layered, resilient, and adaptable.
Why Designating Cartels as Terrorists May Fall Short
Some efforts to combat these organizations involve labelling them as terrorist groups, acknowledging their violent acts, like the gruesome violence seen in places such as Jalisco. While this may be rhetorically justified and morally accurate, the speaker argues that such measures do not address the root causes of drug trafficking—namely, economic and social factors.