Final answer:
Mexican drug cartels are similar to other large-scale organized crime groups in their involvement in the drug trade and influence over politics. They use advanced smuggling methods and have significant economic and political power. They differ from local gangs or ideologically motivated groups, which have different scope, objectives, and means.
Step-by-step explanation:
Of the various problematic groups that have been discussed, the Mexican drug cartels are most similar to other large-scale organized crime groups involved in drug trafficking, such as the Colombian cartels. These groups share characteristics like territorial control, influence over politics and law enforcement through corruption, and a direct involvement in the international drug trade. The Mexican drug cartels, however, differ significantly from groups such as local street gangs, which typically have smaller scopes of influence and less direct control over drug production and distribution networks.
Drug cartels in Mexico are highly sophisticated organizations that employ advanced methods to smuggle drugs and exert controls, such as utilizing high-tech equipment like submarines and constructing tunnels beneath the US-Mexico border. Their power extends deeply into the economic and political spheres, often blurring the lines between the cartels and legitimate structures within Mexico. This influence has dramatic socio-political ramifications and has made the cartels an endemic part of the region's issues.
The most different problematic groups might be smaller-scale, localized operations or ideologically motivated terrorist organizations. These groups may have vastly different objectives, organization structures, and means, with less emphasis on economic gain and more on political or social objectives.