We've been trying this for decades in the War on Drugs, and it just isn't an effective strategy. This isn't even an effective strategy fighting the Taliban for 20 years. Criminal organizations or insurgent groups will always have the manpower to continue their operations. A real solution to Cartels isn't a military one.

They only need land, poor people to take advantage of, a means of transportation, and demand. We have never been able to stem the flow of any of these things through force. Mexican cartels are powerful because the US demand for drugs is insane. Had we spent all this time and money doing research on drugs, having actual drug education programs (DARE is more akin to propaganda), and using when we know to legalize and decriminalize where we can, the cartels would be far less powerful.