A cruise missile into the home compound of a cartel leader might make a rather loud statement. Blow up their cars, houses, and boats. Maybe shoot their children and wives. Knock off the underlings. Do to them as they do to others. Make their life less glamorous. Send the low level mules and pushers to Gitmo as POWs.
You eliminate one, another one pops right up, it’s “Whack-A-Mole”.