Grenade Launchers and Rocket Launchers now in Cartel inventories

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Frazzled**

http://blog.chron.com/lavoz/2015/06/drug-cartel-firepower-getting-bigger-and-more-deadly/#33348101=0

Drug cartel firepower getting bigger and more deadly
Posted on June 1, 2015 | By Camilo Smith

Print
6

Cartel weapons
Image 1 out of 26
HECTOR GUERRERO / AFP/Getty Images
Drug gangs have been increasing their firepower in recent years. Statistics show that the proportion of high-powered assault weapons has increased since around 2006.
Click through the gallery to how dangerous cartel arsenals have grown. (H/T: El Daily Post)

Between 2006 and 2014 the Mexican government seized 162,858 firearms and explosives, according to government data. Weapons have become more powerful over the past 10 years, and enough guns and rifles have been confiscated to arm 60 percent of the Mexican Army.

While there has been a slight dip in the overall amount of weapons take from cartels, it’s the increased firepower behind the trigger that’s been troubling authorities. With AK-47s leading the list of favorite narco weapons, explosives are also increasingly part of their arsenal with items such as land mines and bazookas repeatedly on the list of weapons seized by officials.

“Defense statistics reveal that since 2010 more than 60 percent of seized weapons are rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic and automatic weapons as well as sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers,” reports El Daily Post.

The website Small Wars Journal analyzed a weapons cache that showed an M18A1 Claymore mine, as well as grenades and 30-round high-power machine gun magazines.

Some reports suggest that an average of 40 weapons per day are seized in Mexico, a country which has banned the ownership of personal firearms.

Take a look at the slideshow above to see the weapons authorities have found in drug cartel arsenals.

**Desubot**

Pray they dont get there hands on tactical weenier dogs.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

Frazzled wrote:
http://blog.chron.com/lavoz/2015/06/drug-cartel-firepower-getting-bigger-and-more-deadly/#33348101=0

Drug cartel firepower getting bigger and more deadly
Posted on June 1, 2015 | By Camilo Smith

Print
6

Cartel weapons
Image 1 out of 26
HECTOR GUERRERO / AFP/Getty Images
Drug gangs have been increasing their firepower in recent years. Statistics show that the proportion of high-powered assault weapons has increased since around 2006.
Click through the gallery to how dangerous cartel arsenals have grown. (H/T: El Daily Post)

Between 2006 and 2014 the Mexican government seized 162,858 firearms and explosives, according to government data. Weapons have become more powerful over the past 10 years, and enough guns and rifles have been confiscated to arm 60 percent of the Mexican Army.

While there has been a slight dip in the overall amount of weapons take from cartels, it’s the increased firepower behind the trigger that’s been troubling authorities. With AK-47s leading the list of favorite narco weapons, explosives are also increasingly part of their arsenal with items such as land mines and bazookas repeatedly on the list of weapons seized by officials.

“Defense statistics reveal that since 2010 more than 60 percent of seized weapons are rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic and automatic weapons as well as sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers,” reports El Daily Post.

The website Small Wars Journal analyzed a weapons cache that showed an M18A1 Claymore mine, as well as grenades and 30-round high-power machine gun magazines.

Some reports suggest that an average of 40 weapons per day are seized in Mexico, a country which has banned the ownership of personal firearms.

Take a look at the slideshow above to see the weapons authorities have found in drug cartel arsenals.

Frazz, a while ago I mentioned to you a documentary I had watched about Texans near the border, who faced daily battles with drug smugglers. One old Texan on his horse, patrolled the border near his ranch. He had been in at least 3 or 4 gun battles!!

These grenade launchers go way beyond Mexico. Your fellow Texans may be in the firing line in the future against these weapons.

**Frazzled**

They have chihuahuas: nature's barking rat.
Red Blooded American Wiener Dog kicks chuhuahua ass for fun (literally, they jump them like the rats they are).

**Vaktathi**

Frazzled wrote:
http://blog.chron.com/lavoz/2015/06/drug-cartel-firepower-getting-bigger-and-more-deadly/#33348101=0

Drug cartel firepower getting bigger and more deadly
Posted on June 1, 2015 | By Camilo Smith

Print
6

Cartel weapons
Image 1 out of 26
HECTOR GUERRERO / AFP/Getty Images
Drug gangs have been increasing their firepower in recent years. Statistics show that the proportion of high-powered assault weapons has increased since around 2006.
Click through the gallery to how dangerous cartel arsenals have grown. (H/T: El Daily Post)

Between 2006 and 2014 the Mexican government seized 162,858 firearms and explosives, according to government data. Weapons have become more powerful over the past 10 years, and enough guns and rifles have been confiscated to arm 60 percent of the Mexican Army.

While there has been a slight dip in the overall amount of weapons take from cartels, it’s the increased firepower behind the trigger that’s been troubling authorities. With AK-47s leading the list of favorite narco weapons, explosives are also increasingly part of their arsenal with items such as land mines and bazookas repeatedly on the list of weapons seized by officials.

“Defense statistics reveal that since 2010 more than 60 percent of seized weapons are rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic and automatic weapons as well as sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers,” reports El Daily Post.

The website Small Wars Journal analyzed a weapons cache that showed an M18A1 Claymore mine, as well as grenades and 30-round high-power machine gun magazines.

Some reports suggest that an average of 40 weapons per day are seized in Mexico, a country which has banned the ownership of personal firearms.

Take a look at the slideshow above to see the weapons authorities have found in drug cartel arsenals.

A couple things to point out I guess...

Cartels have had this weaponry since, well, forever, partly because a lot of them are former military with military contacts. Nothing new there. Willingness to *use* it may be higher than in the past, but they've retrieved heavy weaponry from Cartels frequently in the past.

Also, contrary to the article's statement, Mexico has not banned the ownership of personal firearms, it's much more restricted than in the US, but there are absolutely legal avenues for a Mexican citizen to possess a firearm.

**hotsauceman1**

Frazzled wrote:
They have chihuahuas: nature's barking rat.
Red Blooded American Wiener Dog kicks chuhuahua ass for fun (literally, they jump them like the rats they are).

pfft, chihuahuas have hoards though. Mexico has packs or roving chihuahuas that can get as big as 10000 during puppy season

**Frazzled**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
They have chihuahuas: nature's barking rat.
Red Blooded American Wiener Dog kicks chuhuahua ass for fun (literally, they jump them like the rats they are).

pfft, chihuahuas have hoards though. Mexico has packs or roving chihuahuas that can get as big as 10000 during puppy season

Team Wienie welcomes that challenge.

Plus we have access to small arms!

**Jihadin**

Little late for them to find out now. They had it for like 20 years

**Nostromodamus**

Better tell all those border gun stores to quit selling Bazookas to them!

Also...

Camilo "slowpoke" Smith wrote:30-round high-power machine gun magazines

Methinks the writer is a Democrat...

**Hordini**

Alex C wrote:
Better tell all those border gun stores to quit selling Bazookas to them!

Also...

Camilo "slowpoke" Smith wrote:30-round high-power machine gun magazines

Translation: They found standard AR magazines.

This story isn't news; there is nothing new about it. They've had this stuff for years.

**Dreadclaw69**

30-round high-power machine gun magazines.

So what makes a machine gun magazine high powered?

We know that they've had this stuff for years. One cartel is formed from ex-Special Forces, and almost all cartels have some military pipeline to channel weapons through. I just hope this arms are not being provided by a neighbouring government in a hasty and peeved manner.

**Jihadin**

Hordini wrote:
Alex C wrote:
Better tell all those border gun stores to quit selling Bazookas to them!

Also...

Camilo "slowpoke" Smith wrote:30-round high-power machine gun magazines

Translation: They found standard AR magazines.

This story isn't news; there is nothing new about it. They've had this stuff for years.

M249 SAW can be magazine fed. Not recommended and only at last RESORT. What Gunner though is going to run out of belt ammo

Damn near everyone carries an extra 200 round belt for either the SAW or the 240B being the crew serve is the Life of the squad

**Psienesis**

I deployed to Columbia with the US Army in support of Operation: Columbia in late 1997. I can tell you that Cartels have had military-grade hardware, including grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons, and squad-support weapons, since at least that time.

This news is 20 years old.

**Ahtman**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:
So what makes a machine gun magazine high powered?

Self-esteem.

**Wyrmalla**

Old news, call us back when they have tanks and SAMs.

Ah wait. =P

When the cartels are made up of ex-special forces, cherry pick what they want from Military warehouses (both local and international), and are at times even funded by the government, what do people expect? The question is what kind of firepower are the opposition militias toting about? Least the guys on the US side of the border can pick up military grade rifles without having to go through the same black market that's supplying or run by the cartel they're fighting (though wasn't their a government back initiative to empower the militias a while back, not that that's saying much).

**Desubot**

Ahtman wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:
So what makes a machine gun magazine high powered?

Self-esteem.

Blessed by a higher power?

**Jihadin**

Desubot wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:
So what makes a machine gun magazine high powered?

Self-esteem.

Blessed by a higher power?

Its how hard you can throw it at someone

**Hordini**

Wyrmalla wrote:
Old news, call us back when they have tanks and SAMs.

Ah wait. =P

Spoiler:

That's not a tank.

**Jihadin**

Their version of an MRAP. We heard though of them using dump trucks as uparmor vehicles in some of their adventures

**Hordini**

Jihadin wrote:
Their version of an MRAP. We heard though of them using dump trucks as uparmor vehicles in some of their adventures

Just looks like a (poorly) up-armored truck to me.

**Nostromodamus**

Looks like they're guarding props from the new Mad Max film.

**Hordini**

Alex C wrote:
Looks like they're guarding props from the new Mad Max film.

They probably just wanted to pose for a photo with their Fast and Furious weapons.

**Jihadin**

Hordini wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
Their version of an MRAP. We heard though of them using dump trucks as uparmor vehicles in some of their adventures

Just looks like a (poorly) up-armored truck to me.

Ought to see the "original" uparmor that was done beginning of OIF and OEF

**Bromsy**

Jihadin wrote:

M249 SAW can be magazine fed. Not recommended and only at last RESORT. What Gunner though is going to run out of belt ammo Damn near everyone carries an extra 200 round belt for either the SAW or the 240B being the crew serve is the Life of the squad

I would rather pop the rounds out of the magazine and single load them into the gun. That magazine well was as useful as tits on a boar hog.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

I fully expect American dakka members to laugh at my naïve optimism

but I thought the ATF were cracking down on guns going to Mexico?

Or am I being too optimistic?

Expects people to point and laugh at me

**Nostromodamus**

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
I fully expect American dakka members to laugh at my naïve optimism

but I thought the ATF were cracking down on guns going to Mexico?

Or am I being too optimistic?

Expects people to point and laugh at me

ATF ended up actually getting MORE guns to them after a botched operation.

Though I doubt they're getting grenade and rocket launchers from US gun shops, so the ATF likely doesn't have much to do with that...

**Dreadclaw69**

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
I fully expect American dakka members to laugh at my naïve optimism

but I thought the ATF were cracking down on guns going to Mexico?

Or am I being too optimistic?

Expects people to point and laugh at me

When the Cartels are getting their actual military grade assault rifles (not M-Forgeries), explosives, anti-material rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, etc. from Mexican military bases there is precious little the ATF can do.

After being caught red handed donating arms to the Cartels through Fast & Furious the ATF cracked down on the guns they were handing over.

**Frazzled**

Wyrmalla wrote:
Old news, call us back when they have tanks and SAMs.

Ah wait. =P

When the cartels are made up of ex-special forces, cherry pick what they want from Military warehouses (both local and international), and are at times even funded by the government, what do people expect? The question is what kind of firepower are the opposition militias toting about? Least the guys on the US side of the border can pick up military grade rifles without having to go through the same black market that's supplying or run by the cartel they're fighting (though wasn't their a government back initiative to empower the militias a while back, not that that's saying much).

The Wife needs this vehicle. Last week she left the keys in her van while talking and it rolled away through a fence. If she's going to go full Benny Hill she needs to be properly uparmored!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
I fully expect American dakka members to laugh at my naïve optimism

but I thought the ATF were cracking down on guns going to Mexico?

Or am I being too optimistic?

Expects people to point and laugh at me

Thats the point. They aren't getting that weaponry from us (civilian). Thats military.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

Frazzled wrote:
Wyrmalla wrote:
Old news, call us back when they have tanks and SAMs.

Ah wait. =P

When the cartels are made up of ex-special forces, cherry pick what they want from Military warehouses (both local and international), and are at times even funded by the government, what do people expect? The question is what kind of firepower are the opposition militias toting about? Least the guys on the US side of the border can pick up military grade rifles without having to go through the same black market that's supplying or run by the cartel they're fighting (though wasn't their a government back initiative to empower the militias a while back, not that that's saying much).

The Wife needs this vehicle. Last week she left the keys in her van while talking and it rolled away through a fence. If she's going to go full Benny Hill she needs to be properly uparmored!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
I fully expect American dakka members to laugh at my naïve optimism

but I thought the ATF were cracking down on guns going to Mexico?

Or am I being too optimistic?

Expects people to point and laugh at me

Thats the point. They aren't getting that weaponry from us (civilian). Thats military.

Frazz, if memory serves, you've been quite critical of the ATF in past threads, and here I am giving you an opportunity to knock them, and you're not taking it! You feeling ok?