Cartel gunmen in western Mexico expanded the use of weaponized drones to drop improvised explosive devices on their rivals. The use of commercially available drones to deliver explosives is now commonplace in the rural areas of Michoacan and Jalisco. Mexico’s government has been unable to stop rival criminal organizations as they fight to control lucrative drug production and trafficking routes.
As Breitbart Texas first reported, terrorist drug cartels like Cartel Jalisco New Generation and smaller cartels such as Los Viagras, Knights Templars, and La Familia Michoacana turned to the use of drones as a way to drop explosives on their rivals. The practice involves IEDs that attach to tubes with wings that are dropped from drones.
Breitbart Texas obtained an exclusive video from one of the drone attacks that gunmen used recently in the city of Apatzingan, Michoacan. Locals who spoke with Breitbart Texas revealed that drone attacks in Apatzingan and other nearby communities have become a daily occurrence as criminal organizations continue their turf wars.
The turf wars have been going on for years and appear to have no end in sight, as smaller regional cartels and cells are constantly shifting alliances. Some groups fight alongside CJNG, while others fight against them under the banner of Carteles Unidos.
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Despite the raging violence in Michoacan, Mexican authorities rarely intervene, leaving CJNG and their rivals to fight for hours at a time.
As Breitbart Texas reported, Michoacan Governor Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla is related by marriage to various cartel leaders in his state — including Adalberto Fructoso “Fruto” Comparan Rodriguez, one of the top leaders of Carteles Unidos who is currently facing multiple drug trafficking charges in a U.S. federal court.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
Jose Luis Lara from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.