Mexican drug cartel just upgraded from delivering drugs to throwing bombs using drones.
Drugs and Mexico have an extraordinary relationship that we all know of. It could be through news or a season you might have watched. These small and large groups with drug businesses possess heavy weaponry to fight back the forces and contest against the same business opponents.
The new addition to the used heavy weaponry is the drones, which earlier were being used to deliver drugs. The drug lords must have thought, why not deliver bombs using the same drones.
The use of bomb-toting drones, which are similar to quad-copters, poses a threat to the general population in Mexico, along with a threat to state officials. This sweet use of a drone for aggression comes with minimum chances to get caught, while the damage done could be huge. An operator could easily navigate one that carries explosives to the desired destination, all through a remote.
Two dozen of these bomb-toting drones laden with explosives were caught in July 2020 in Mexico. The drones apparently belonged to Sicarios, which are cartel hitmen, and were found in their abandoned car.
Jalisco, a New-generation cartel
Jalisco cartel emerged in 2009, and since its start, it has been overwhelming other drug cartels with direct attacks, which as a result, gained them the desired might and control over the drug business in the country. American authorities confirmed last July that CJNG holds one-third of Mexico’s total drug movement, within and outside its boundaries. Now the mighty drug cartel is aiming to expand its operations into Europe and Asia.
Finding the quad-copter drones in Sicario’s abandoned car is proof that the cartels and forces fighting against them are using drones to operate and as a tool of aggression against enemies. The same use could extend to attack state buildings and key officials, and the use of it poses a great threat within and outside of Mexico.
Several incidents happened outside of Mexico as well, where the use of quad-copters was seen to carry and deliver explosives to the desired location. Some state militaries are building their own drones for similar purposes, to use them as a forceful tool against enemies and to fight those who are already using them. Moreover, militaries are finding out ways to suppress the threat of these explosives carrying drones to fight them down to stop such attacks from terrorists and drug cartels in Mexico.
Following is an example of the use of drones against state officials.
The aerial attack capability of the cartel, if not stopped, is a threat to VIPs, armed forces, and critical infrastructure. Seeing the cartel successfully add this tool to their already heavy weaponry would be a nightmare, while state authorities in Mexico and other parts of the world are working on the countermeasures.