This is true, but they're far less trained, less equipped, and every form of communiction they use can be hacked, monitored, tracked or recorded by the DEA. Literally if they didn't go back to the stone age with note passing, etc. they're fucked completely overnight and the heads of their organization would be grabbed or killed pretty quickly leaving the minions to dictate the next move, which will be to smoke meth and kidnap tourists for ransom.
Just the threat alone no doubt has turned the DEA's attention towards the cartels. The wrong move on their part will spell immediate and tactically superior action by one of our best equipped and least watchdogged bureaus. So yeah, they should probably think that through before they make any hardass moves. The DEA is no joke.