
“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
Recent imagery suggests that CJNG has now created a specialized “Operadores Droneros” (Drone Operators) unit as evidenced by a patch worn on their uniforms.
This unit patch may have appeared as early as November 2021 in CJNG-related videos but had not been previously identified due to the low-quality resolution of the videos.
The group is mostly dedicated to finding and attacking rival cartels like Los Viagras, Knights Templar in Michoacán, and the Sinaloa Cartel in Jalisco, the cartel operator said. “It depends on which drone we use, but we can be miles away and confirm that they [rivals] are at a certain house or vehicle and then crash the drone with the explosives,” he said.
Federal authorities pulled over the stolen SUV just after dawn on October 20, 2019, along Highway 43D near the town of Salamanca in Mexico’s central Guanajuato state.
An aerial drone was discovered alongside an AK-47 in the rear cargo bay and was armed and ready to be deployed. The 3DR Solo Quadcopter carried a shrapnel-filled IED that was in turn rigged to detonate by remote control. It was the first time a weaponized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) had been found in the hands of an organized crime group in Mexico.
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Drone Unit Patch
The group is allegedly composed of a dozen men and currently operates only in Michoacán and Jalisco states, according to the cartel operator. “The Operadores Droneros is still a new and not widespread group inside the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, but that doesn’t mean it is harmless; they have enough power to focus our attention on them,” a Mexican intelligence official inside Mexico’s army told The Daily Beast requesting to remain anonymous. A Mexican state policeman operating in the state of Michoacán also confirmed the existence of the drone operators working within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
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In a video purportedly taken from inside the Operadores Droneros unit in Michoacán, one can be seen stuffing explosive charges inside plastic bottles. The footage shows some nails and buckshot, and a DJI commercial drone (which looks to be a DJI Mini) in the back of a pick-up truck.
The video was allegedly recorded a few hours before an attack against the Knights Templar in the small village of -, Michoacán, according to multiple sources inside the CJNG.
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Operadores Droneros Training
“We began training as a group in 2021, but only this year we started operating,” a Jalisco Cartel New Generation member of the Operadores Droneros (Drone Operators), told The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity.
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“A gringo [American] showed us how to make our own explosives since sourcing a real plastic explosive could be too attention-grabbing. And the Colombian showed us how to drive and maneuver a drone,” he said.
CJNG Drone Attacks
Explosive drones have been some of the most lethal weapons used by cartels against Mexican authorities. That was made all too clear in November 2022, when a convoy from the Mexican military was attacked with explosive drones from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as they approached the small town of Tepalcatepec in Michoacán. Four were killed and six others were injured in the incident, according to news reports.
“The significance of the institutionalization of weaponized aerial drones by criminal armed groups… can as a result present a more profound threat to the state and its security forces,” John P. Sullivan, a researcher at C/O Futures, told The Daily Beast. “Future potentials might include targeting law enforcement and customs and border patrol officials on the frontier,” Sullivan said.
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Counter Attack Methods
As various cartels have been targeting each other with this weaponry the expectation exists that dedicated counter-drone capabilities, beyond small arms fires, would start to appear in their arsenals.
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Drone Export Restrictions & Penalties
Last week, China also admitted that most of the civilian drones used by criminal organizations and the military were manufactured in that country and announced a series of sanctions and restrictions on exports starting this week.
China imposed restrictions last week on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use. DJI Technology Co., one of the global industry’s top competitors, announced in April 2022 it was pulling out of Russia and Ukraine to prevent its drones from being used in combat. Restrictions will apply to drones that can fly beyond the natural sight distance of operators or stay aloft for more than 30 minutes, have attachments that can throw objects, and weigh more than 7 kilograms (15½ pounds), according to the ministry.
Among the sanctions provided for the use of drones by criminal organizations or for criminal purposes is the modification to Article 139 of the Federal Penal Code. This indicates that a prison sentence of 15 to 40 years and fines of more than 124 thousand pesos will be imposed on anyone who uses remotely piloted aircraft to commit behaviors for which toxic substances, chemical, biological or similar weapons are used as well as possible terrorist acts. Prison of 10 to 20 years is also provided for other crimes committed with the use of drones, whether it is to drop explosives or improvised explosive devices or weapons; as well as chemicals.
“We understand they [Mexico and Chinese governments] have to do something, but honestly, it is not like we will stop. We are fighting a war, even if they don’t want to admit it. This is a war and we will source our weapons from wherever we can,” the cartel operative said.
Sources C/O Futures, C/O Futures, Daily Beast, Twitter, AP News, Infobae