I feel like I should expand on my comment because it's not exactly what I mean.
In the same way political and religious groups are funded abroad by the CIA I believe the cartels are funded in the same way, but differently due to the makeup of south america.
Much of south and central America is already christian or catholic.
Funding political groups actually has a decent chance of blowing up in Americas face, which is okay abroad, but bad when it's on your closest border.
This in turn leaves the US to fund neither of these groups, so instead they fund what can only be considered "business" or "financial" terrorists. This gives the US so much breathing room because it makes most people not even see them as terrorists, they're just "doing business". And it gives the US an excuse to vilify drugs and such. So yes they are business partners, but only in the sense that the US could not use the exact playbook they do everywhere else.
More partners than fronts
I feel like I should expand on my comment because it's not exactly what I mean.
In the same way political and religious groups are funded abroad by the CIA I believe the cartels are funded in the same way, but differently due to the makeup of south america.
Much of south and central America is already christian or catholic.
Funding political groups actually has a decent chance of blowing up in Americas face, which is okay abroad, but bad when it's on your closest border.
This in turn leaves the US to fund neither of these groups, so instead they fund what can only be considered "business" or "financial" terrorists. This gives the US so much breathing room because it makes most people not even see them as terrorists, they're just "doing business". And it gives the US an excuse to vilify drugs and such. So yes they are business partners, but only in the sense that the US could not use the exact playbook they do everywhere else.