The U.S. will consider increasing military assistance to help Mexico battle drug cartels, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates said during a March 2 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. The help would come in the form of training, reconnaissance and surveillance support, and intelligence cooperation, Gates said. The offer would help Mexico’s strained police and military deal with the threat posed by the drug dealers, who have grown both richer and more brazen in recent years. It clearly is a serious problem, Gates said.