The North American Union is the ultimate goal. US, Canada, and Mexico will be merged to form a new economic union. First they need to get Mexico Closer to the levels of the US and Canada, this is why they all of a sudden care about the amount of control the cartels have. They need to curb the activity of the cartels or at least push them into South America. Then once that is achieved and Mexico installs the social structures the Mexican president talked about in his speech to congress about 1 year ago. He was saying how they need to build up thier country so that people won't need to go to the US to find work or to recieve a higher education. They want to build universities and allow the citizens to attend for free. So they can justify absorbing Mexico as a member. As of now it would unfeasible.