Cartel Arms Race Accelerates Since Mid-2000s
"Some Cartels Now at Paramilitary Level"
There is an analysis suggesting that the firepower of Mexican drug cartels has reached a level comparable to that of military organizations. In addition to firearms and explosives, they are now using modified drones to drop bombs, and as armed confrontations between cartels intensify, civilian casualties are also on the rise.
On September 2, Yonhap News cited The New York Times (NYT), reporting that "authorities and security experts in the United States and Mexico believe that the armament level of some cartels has reached that of paramilitary groups."
According to the report, the weaponry of cartels has recently surpassed simple handguns and automatic rifles. Some cartels are reportedly equipped with directional mines such as Claymores, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), homemade mortars, and armed trucks mounted with machine guns. It is now common for ordinary drones purchased online to be modified to carry explosives, and there have even been cases where drones are used to drop chemical weapons.
In particular, the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacan in western Mexico is where cartel competition is most intense. This fertile agricultural area has transformed into a strategic hub for drug cultivation. According to the NYT, the region is currently witnessing fierce battles for dominance among the "Jalisco New Generation Cartel," the "Knights Templar," and "La Familia Michoacana," all of which boast formidable firepower.
Civilian casualties resulting from these conflicts are mounting. The NYT reported the testimony of a witness from the village of El Guayabo in Michoacan, who said that before sunrise, explosions powerful enough to shake the ground occurred, followed by swarms of drones flying overhead.
According to local human rights organizations, in just the past five months, more than 10 civilians-including a 14-year-old boy-have died in the Michoacan region. The victims were killed unexpectedly while working on farms or on their way to school.
Over the past two years, Michoacan has recorded the highest number of landmine explosions in Mexico. This is due to an increase in the use of improvised explosive device (IED) landmines by cartels to eliminate rival gang members or police officers. When gang battles erupt, residents are often forced to flee, and many are unable to return. During this period, it is reported that as many as 2,000 residents have been forcibly displaced from Michoacan.
Security experts and Mexican authorities believe that the "arms race" among cartels began in the mid-2000s. At that time, the "Los Zetas" cartel, formed by former military personnel, was the first to introduce military field manuals to cartel operations, encrypting communications and acquiring heavy weaponry. Subsequently, rival cartels began to adopt even more powerful weapons to avoid falling behind in the competition.
A clear example of the escalation in cartel armament occurred in 2015, when a cartel member in Jalisco shot down a Mexican Army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), killing six soldiers. In 2022, Mexican military intelligence authorities analyzed that cartels were now routinely using improvised explosive devices and drones.
However, the firepower of police forces, who are supposed to suppress the cartels, has not changed significantly. One Mexican official stated, "The cartels' firepower is years ahead of ours. They have unlimited resources, superior weapons, and advanced technology," adding, "Simply put, the situation on the ground for us is nothing like that." The official continued, "They show up with Barrett .50-caliber semi-automatic rifles, while our field officers have nothing even remotely comparable."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
