“Patience” is a good characterization because (as you have observed correctly) they’ve refrained from doing so in the past to avoid the consequences of such actions, but now, crucially, the are taking them down.

imagine how much would have gone wrong

That’s funny because just days ago some US congressmen have demanded (CW: euphemisms) the “authorization” of “military force” against “the cartels”: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/9/mexicos-president-sl...

Now, invading Mexico is still a remote prospect at this point, but if you think the US wouldn’t “defend their interests” there, you’d better read up on the Monroe Doctrine and 19th and 20th century history of the Americas.