Heroin was around in in the 70’s. they got rid of it. Understand this is a multibillion $ industry. They bought Chavez. He used his military man power and cargo planes for distribution around the world.
The cartels have joined forces with Hezbollah and Islamist Brotherhood. There is not one major SEC regulated bank in Wall Street that hasn’t been caught laundering Billions, and there is not one bank that has been held criminally liable for anything.
The is no doubt that our government is working with the cartels. Fast and Furious was an example. http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/north-america/item/17396-u-s-government-and-top-mexican-drug-cartel-exposed-as-partners
The point is, the trade has been around a lot longer than this article tries to imply. I believe the roots for what you see now were established in the early years of the Rock & Roll era.
I have kept in contact with my Hoosier best man from my first marriage occasionally for all these years. He became addicted after he lost a leg in a car accident and is a functioning addict all these years later. As a matter of fact, he’s a world renowned sculptor specializing in public art. He doesn’t do heroin anymore but is active in the Narc-anon movement and he’s where I get my information. A person who’s been in the trenches for many moons. It breaks my heart to read his letters. Even though he is worth more financially than I, I would not trade a minute of my life for his, but he can’t say the same.