Drones Appear Taking on a Bigger, More Dangerous Role in Mexico’s Criminal Warfare Christopher Woody - Business Insider
go to original October 25, 2017

Drones taking on a bigger role in Mexico's criminal scene (Wochit News)

Four men were stopped in central Mexico in possession of a drone with an explosive device attached. The discovery is sign of a shift in criminal tactics, further incorporating drones. Drones have been adopted by criminals and police alike in Latin America, especially in relation to drug trafficking.

An early-morning traffic stop in central Mexico led to the discovery of a drone outfitted to carry a homemade explosive, marking the latest sign that cartels and criminal actors involved in Mexico’s drug wars are turning to autonomous vehicles to compete.

Mexican federal police stopped a late-model Mazda on a highway in Guanajuato, a state north of Mexico City, during the early hours of October 20. The car had been reported stolen.

In the vehicle, police found an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and cellphones.

In the back, police also discovered a small drone – a similar version of which can be bought for a few hundred dollars on Amazon – with an explosive device taped to it and a radio-frequency detonator, according to the state’s attorney general, Carlos Zamarripa Aguirre.

The rifle and the explosives were types reserved only for the use of the military, and Zamarripa said possession of them constituted federal crimes.

Zamarripa said similar explosive devices had been encountered before but never attached to a drone – though similar explosives have reportedly turned up elsewhere in Mexico several times this year, according to Small Wars Journal.

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