The cartels exist, so it's not without challenges, but if we're going to grow any countries middle class it's better to be Mexico than China.
Back in the late 90s when I was a business student, there was a lot of focus on Mexico, with the reasoned belief that it would be the logical place for remaining US manufacturing to move. As it became clear that the Clinton administration was cozy with China and headed toward entry into the WTO, it felt like overnight all the energy moved from Mexico to China. I was in China in about 1999 on a study trip, and every (foreign controlled) business we spoke with was talking about how they were getting taken advantage of by the Chinese government.
So yeah - what's old is new again. Apple et. al hedging their risks in China, Mexico still having the geographic advantages in US trade plus relatively skilled and affordable labor.