At least two of Mexico’s three leading drug cartels may be negotiating a truce as they try to fend off a government crackdown, Fox News reported March 12.

Experts say the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels may be seeking an alliance rather than continuing to fight each other over drug smuggling routes and markets. “We’ve seen reports coming out of Mexico that cartels have set down and tried to do business together because of, let’s face it, pressure,” said Fred Burton of Stratfor Global Security. “Whether that be law-enforcement pressure or military pressure, (it) is bad for business.”

The Sinaloa cartel may be looking to replace its traditional Arizona smuggling routes — now under increased scrutiny — with the Gulf cartel’s drug pipeline on the East Coast of Mexico.

“If they have to adapt their tactics, whether that means negotiating with another cartel, or whether it means giving up certain trafficking routes — which we have also seen — all of those are a reflection of effective strategy to pressure these cartels,” said U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jackson.