[AtlasStalled]

“the cartels would want to make sure their dealings with AQ were profitable and that dealing with them wouldn’t hurt their current money-making business models”

I think you make a good point. The Mexican drug cartels knowingly wouldn’t want to bring more heat upon them by letting the terrorists exploit their operational infrastructure; however, the terrorists could use the Mexican drug cartels as unsuspecting dupes, and a cell of Middle East terrorists could pose as just your garden variety drug smuggler trying to get into the U.S. through the smuggling lines and distribution networks the Mexican drug cartels have in place.

[rhombus]

the terrorists could use the Mexican drug cartels as unsuspecting dupes, and a cell of Middle East terrorists could pose as just your garden variety drug smuggler trying to get into the U.S. through the smuggling lines

Or they could just fly in through JFK, Logan, Dulles, Miami or LAX.

[SpaceBar]

I've got news for you. Mexican drug cartels are terrorists. Get in their way and your entire family will be headless torsos pushing up weeds somewhere. That's terrorism, and just because the commodity is drugs and not fanatic religious fundamentalism doesn't change that.