If the cartels start practicing unrestrained violence against the law enforcement and judicial systems, the response will be interesting.

If there is a problem with domestic organized crime, which is usually restrained, the police flood the area, make it impossible to do business, harass individuals and in general make life miserable and business impossible until the issue is resolved. Often by organized crime itself.

What would and could they do to a Mexican drug cartel, which is willing to go to any length to intimidate. It is hard to imagine what might be effective. And once the police and judges start wearing balaclavas in order to protect their identities from the badguys, it would seem to be over. They won.

(Googling "Mexican drug cartels intimidate US law enforcement" yields a lot of examples of this starting.)