It's because the FBI comes down on kidnappers like the wrath of God. They have for a generation.
Tends to dampen the trade.
Typically the FBI only gets involved in interstate kidnapping, or when a child under 12 is kidnapped. While they will track and offer assistance in other kidnapping cases, they will not directly involve themselves unless asked.
I’m not alone in wondering why a lot of the stuff the cartels are doing south of the border hasn’t moved north. They are kind of enigmatic that way.
They will send killers north to kill an opposing cartel member who has fled up here, and they are pretty bold in doing so. Plus, years ago, they stopped the war between the Crips and Bloods in L.A., because it was bad for business.
But profitable sidelines like kidnapping, blackmail and protection rackets have stayed down there - at least as far as the cartels are concerned.
At the same time, the Honduras based international MS-13 gang has had no problems migrating its activities up here. They even got into a brawl with the FBI, who immediately rounded up some 200 of them. Made a dent in their estimated US numbers of 8,000.
One of their mottos is “mata, roba, viola, controla” (”Kill, steal, rape, control”). Domestically, the group is involved in multiple crimes including murder, racketeering, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and human trafficking including prostitution.
They could do this so readily, it makes you wonder why the cartels haven’t as well?