I’ve had lots of good times in decades past in Puerto Vallarta. Wouldn’t go there now if it was free.
I don’t know how Mexico fixes this. I really don’t know.
Los Pepes and "Search Bloc"
I'm not convinced they want to. Sure, they'll make the occasional arrest or find and burn marijuana fields, but the cartels are heavily populated with current and former military and law enforcement people. Further, the infiltration by organized crime elements of government administrations from the smallest village all the way up to the federal government is the stuff of legend.
Exacerbating this is the fact the bribe culture is so thick down there, the level of Mexican political corruption would make the dirtiest Chicago pol wince with embarrassment... or envy.