Majority of Americans Don't Think Mexico Is Tough Enough on Mexican Cartels

The infamous leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was finally arrested and taken into custody last week, bringing an end to a brutal era in the Mexico's drug war. But as the cartels make their way back into the news with Guzman's arrest, a majority of Americans believe the Mexican government isn't doing enough to crack down on their violent and illegal activity. From Rasmussen:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters do not believe the Mexican government has been aggressive enough in its efforts to stop illegal drug traffickers in Mexico. Just 12% think the Mexicans have been aggressive enough in their anti-drug efforts.

Border analyst Sylvia Longmire predicts El Chapo's arrest will spark new violence along the southwest border with Mexico as cartel members battle to fill the Guzman power vacuum.

The question now becomes, what happens to the Federation and violence in Mexico with El Chapo gone? The biggest danger when a kingpin is killed or arrested is that there will be a power vacuum. The fighting and bloodletting starts when either members of that cartel or rivals start to compete for the position. Rival cartels see the elimination of a kingpin as a sign of weakness and an opening to move in and seize territory. Los Zetas are the Federation’s biggest rival, and will be watching the transition closely for any opportunity.