Mexican Cartels Immersed In Arms Race And Getting As Sophisticated As Paramilitary Groups: Report

Mexican cartels are immersed in an arms race and getting as sophisticated as paramilitary groups, according to a new report.

The New York Times detailed that criminal groups are now often using improvised explosive devices, modified drones and heavy weaponry, further increasing their lethality.

The outlet also quoted authorities who documented the use of mines, rocket-propelled grenades and armored trucks with mounted machine guns, developments that have led to the death of civilians in the country.

Many of these weapons come from the U.S., with the Mexican government historically requesting its American counterpart to do more to stem the flow and even filing a lawsuit against manufacturers, an initiative that has been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Cartels are also known to produce parts with 3D printers and have also reversed-engineered some designs.

In Michoacan’s Tierra Caliente region, at least 2,000 people have been displaced over the past years as a result of the turf wars between the Jalisco Cartel, la Familia Michoacana and the Caballeros Templarios, according to human rights groups quoted by the outlet.

Mexican officials credit some of the improvements to the fact that former Colombian military members have been recruited to work for cartels. Earlier this year, Colombia’s consul general in Mexico City confirmed that at least one active member of the Colombian armed forces is performing such tasks.

Alfredo Molano Jimeno, a former journalist appointed to the post earlier this year following controversies involving his predecessor, told Milenio “we’ve found that recruitment routes involve active-duty military personnel using fraudulent job offers.”

. “What’s clear is a pattern of involvement: members of the security forces have participated in recruitment efforts in the same areas where individuals were later abducted.”

According to Jimeno, Colombian veterans are lured with promises of monthly salaries ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on their skills and level of training.

“They spread these false job offers through WhatsApp groups, Facebook, and even platforms designed to collect résumés, posing as legitimate companies conducting formal recruitment processes,” he said.

At the border, local law enforcement agencies are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence-powered drones to track drug traffickers and migrants, while Mexican cartels are flying their own drones into U.S. territory to monitor smuggling routes and law enforcement operations.

Cartels have invested in drone technology for surveillance and, in some cases, armed operations. A former operative for the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación recently told Infobae México the group modified agricultural drones to drop explosives on rival factions, carry heavy payloads over 100 kilometers, and remain airborne for up to five hours.

Steven Willoughby, deputy director of DHS’s counter-drone program, told a U.S. Senate committee last month that cartel drones made more than 27,000 flights within 500 meters of the southern border during the last six months of 2024. “It’s just a matter of time until Americans or law enforcement agents are targeted,” said Willoughby, adding that cartel drones have been linked to more than 1,500 arrests along the southwest border.

Some factions, such as La Mayiza of the Sinaloa Cartel, have reportedly acquired military-grade drone-jamming equipment, while others have used explosive-armed drones to displace communities. Civil liberties advocates in the U.S. have urged caution on police drone adoption until clearer regulations are in place.