It needs cleaned up to protect the US citizens from trafficking, both drug and human. Doesn't make sense for us to clean it up (and for free) then walk away. We need control of it, else, it will just regenerate the cartel leadership and be back in the same boat. If we make a deal to annex the country, will have all of our manufacturing plants that have fled to Mexico back in the US, will have a smaller land-border to protect, and a passport-free, safe vacation area for 'all'. Agriculturally, a big bonus to be had immediately. Once US money flows in there on a legitimate basis, things will clean up just by free-market forces alone. Better tourism, better food/water controls, more money from 'snowbirds' investing/moving down there, better policing if you don't have a DS/C_A Cartel defacto running the country. Because that is what is happening, regardless of whatever elections you have down there.