Perhaps you will take time to watch the video I referenced above, and others. I agree with you and understand how discouraging it must be for those who see the damage done by drugs every day. But understand as George’s analogy says that if they wiped out every MS13, La Raza, etc gangbanger in your city overnight the ER would just be seeing different faces in a few weeks and months.
The front-office part of the drug industry is replaceable. There’s always kids who are willing to do the retail drug work and as long as that continues there will be users who become victims.
The only real strategy is to get to the “managers”, break up the back-office and the factories. That won’t be a long-term fix unless there is a diligent effort to keep it from reforming because as long as there is a demand there will be someone trying to supply it. Trump can’t do it all, but with properly aimed strategic moves I think he could disrupt it sufficiently to make an impact. Just having a southern border wall and security would pose a major impediment to the ability to meet the demand. Getting to the rat-lines that move the stuff out of normal channels would be huge, because those things take a lot of resources to set up and maintain. It is very literally a war, but one that can’t be won with one massive attack, no matter who’s in charge.
I believe you’re right. We’ve gone after the BIG FISH before and it has paid off. Why hasn’t law enforcement gone after these gangs the same way they did organized crime? I don’t want to believe the answer is they need their jobs/work to continue! We’re already skeptical and jaded enough; we don’t need to become more so.