Basically everyone here prefers the cartels to the government. I suspect they are kept in check by virtue of their being a lot of them. IF just one cartel ruled the roost I think they would be a lot less concerned with what the population thinks of them. I am reminded of the series I watched about Escobar and how he was really trying to curry favor with Colombians; giving away money and building houses and school and at one point actually got elected to public office. The people knew he was a drug lord, they just preferred him to their own oppressive government. I think a lot of Mexicans feel the same way.