Authorities in Mexico have apprehended suspected members of the Gulf Cartel, who were found with a stash of 151 explosive devices, 18 drones, three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and a variety of other weapons. Notably, some of the seized equipment included advanced anti-drone technology.
The arrests took place in Reynosa, a border city in Tamaulipas, which has been grappling with rampant violence as the Gulf Cartel employs increasingly aggressive tactics against civilians in the area. The Gulf Cartel is one of six drug trafficking organizations in Mexico that the U.S. designates as foreign terrorist groups.
During a raid on a location in Reynosa, law enforcement detained a gunman tasked with guarding the explosives. An inventory of the items taken revealed they had been prepared for drone deployment, with the cache including a significant amount of plastic explosives. Authorities also confiscated the drones, IEDs, a rifle, a handgun, and a stolen vehicle.
This impressive arsenal was seized amidst ongoing clashes between the Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel and the rival Escorpiones faction from Matamoros, both vying for dominance over a lucrative smuggling area. In their skirmishes, both groups have resorted to using drones to drop explosives on competitor vehicles.
The Metros faction has been linked to numerous disappearances and murders, instilling fear within Reynosa in recent years. This year, prompted by shifts in immigration policy and heightened border security from the previous U.S. administration, the Metros have intensified their kidnapping and extortion tactics in the city as a means of boosting their income. The changes in immigration practices, aimed at closing asylum loopholes, significantly affected the Gulf Cartel, which had previously profited more from human smuggling than drug trafficking. Stricter border enforcement has also complicated drug transport across the Rio Grande, pushing criminal networks to focus more on trafficking through designated entry points.
