The cartels are cutting off more heads than the taliban.
I have met the instructor for and member of the SWAT team of a city with heavy smuggling activity here in AZ, I won't say which. He has told me that the smugglers are out there with full armor and (real) AKs, not that this is news to anyone aware of the problem along our border, they also have spotters in the hills, and at night, which is when the SWAt guys go "hunting", so to speak, the spotters, who have NODS will send up a flare signalling the smugglers. The police unit has to actually go out with belt fed weapons from what I understand because firefights are a real possibility, the smugglers don't generally surrender.
These same criminals have routes that lead right up to metro Phoenix. This is a major threat. And it's only a matter of time until someone sneaks something way more destructive than drugs or guns over the border and does some major damage.
