Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Sunday, May 1, 2016

MANPADS: Weaponry Progression and the Changing Face of Narco Warfare

by Lucio with C.E. Martinez with material from SWJ by Dr. Robert Bunker

In December 23, 2012, Chivis interviewed Dr. Bunker of Small Wars Journal about Mexican cartel weaponry employment patterns, and what the future of narco weaponry may look like. The use of 50 cal. sniper rifles was discussed in the interview. Chivis asked Dr. Bunker what he thought the next progression weapon might be. He answered, “50 cal”, at the time there had been rumors of its use but unconfirmed and no photo evidence. The title of the post is, ‘The Changing Mexican Drug War Brings New Challenges".

From the December 2012;


“Watching the ever evolving cache of weapons lingering at the aftermath of shootouts, I wondered what they represented in the changing war.

I immediately thought of Dr. Robert Bunker as a go to person for answering some of the questions of narco tactical and weapon advances focusing on MANPADS and other weapon… link here to read interview”
Two months later February, 2013

Then In Monterrey, N.L. two months later, State Police Chief, Gustavo Gerardo Garza Saucedo, was executed in the  early morning by a sniper using a .50 caliber rifle, 20 kilometers northwest of the capital, reported by the Prosecutor of Nuevo Leon.

From Dr. Bunker at the time: 
“The standoff range was reported to be 60 meters which is about 66 yards away. This is the distance where a tripod (e.g. tripié del fusil—this is likely in error as a bipod would typically be utilized— but it was left behind so the stabilization device is in question) was found abandoned along with a shell casing—which possibly suggests a lower level of training and/or the immediate need to escape and evade pursuers.” 
The sniper may have been in a prone firing position as the items were reported found in vacant lot near the Commander’s home. The target was hit in the back with the lot providing a clear line of site to the parking and/or door of the residence”
RPG's

At the time of the 2012 interview there had not been a cartel hit from a RPG, but that changed in May, 2015 when in a failed attempt to capture El Mencho, leader of CJNG resulted in a deadly RPG attack on a military helicopter. 

In the 2012 interview MANPADS were discussed, an excerpt from that post:
"I immediately thought of Dr. Robert Bunker as a go to person for answering some of the questions of narco tactical and weapon advances focusing on MANPADS and other weapons.
          The US Bureau of Political and Military Offices describes MANPADS as follows:
Man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), commonly described as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, are surface-to-air missiles that can be carried and fired by a single individual or carried by several individuals and fired by more than one person acting as a crew.

Most MANPADS consist of: 1) a missile packaged in a tube; 2) a launching mechanism (commonly known as a “gripstock”); and 3) a battery. More modern MANPADS also contain a separate missile ejection motor. The tubes, which protect the missile until it has been fired, are normally disposable.

Rudimentary sights are mounted on the tube. The missiles themselves are usually comprised of a flight motor, a warhead, a control section and a guidance section that directs the missile toward the targeted aircraft. A single-use battery is typically used to power the missile prior to launch.
MANPADS launch tubes typically range from about 4 feet to 6 1/2 feet (1.2 to 2 meters) in length and are about 3 inches (72 millimeters) in diameter. Their weight, with launcher, ranges from about 28 pounds to just over 55 pounds (13 to 25 kilograms). They are easy to transport and conceal."
MANPADS:

Following the progression, on April 22, 2016, Texcoco posted and translated an article on Borderland Beat titled,  “Tigers,weapons, and cars seized from La Linea in Chihuahua.”

An excerpt:
“Wounded criminals, criminals killed by police, six detainees, powerful missile launchers, Barret rifles, thousands of bullets, more than 20 stolen vehicles, drugs, tactical gear, cash and exotic animals were seized by the General Office of Chihuahua during an operation in several points of the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes. 
Under the operation “For The Safety Of Casas Grandes” agents of the Attorney General seized powerful weapons such as rocket launchers, Barret rifles, over a thousand 300 cartridges, lots of tactical equipment, vehicles reported as stolen including modern sports cars, drugs and exotic animals, in addition to the arrest of six subjects, a cell belonging to organized crime…”
This included  Redeye MANPADS in the possession of armed personnel belonging to La Linea.

Dr. Bunker and Chivis could not know how timely the 2012 article would turn out to be. Dr Bunker has published his analysis of the discovery of MANPADS, that will be posted on Borderland Beat tomorrow.

39 comments:

  1. What a dumbass in the pic, it would be hilarious if he fired it backwards and blew himself up.

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    1. If he fired it like he's holding it, the missle would shoot away from him

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    2. Mexican!
      One of my students.
      ATTE: La Chucky

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    3. 3:27 if fired the missile would go away from him from any side
      3:37 la chucky, is a mexican government agent working for the US, not all the mexicans are US agents, calling "mexicans!" is like calling your group "stupid".
      Also it is easier to shoulder the launcher by the heavy side, and helps make it fit in the foto, but it is easier to criticize when YOU have never carried one.
      --There is also the question, where did it come from?, fast and furious, obamanos, holder?
      "Progression" for me has been discovering State Sponsored Terrorism is what was behind the "terrorism in Colombia" and that was effective, more effective in helping drug traffickers steal the business from the worst of the traffickers and keep it up and in getting to be PRESIDENTS of their victimized country, Alvaro Uribe and juan manuel santos.
      The Colombianization of mexico started with enrique peña nieto getting his job as secretario de gobierno under his governor uncle ARTURO MONTIEL, estado de mexico and atlacomulca "pedigree"...
      Wonder what Dr Bunker has to say about Threatened State Sponsored Terrorismo De Estado?
      --Or is he too busy helping with "body cavities"?

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  2. Jajajajaja held backwards!!

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  3. You can't fire it without the battery. Plus it has 2 travel so far before it can activate the explosive. - El Sol Perdido

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  4. I commented on Tex's article, regarding that being a stinger in the picture. It looks like USA stock, but with the friend or foe antenna removed, as this part wouldn't be needed by cartel users.

    1 x stinger = $150,000 , this device could quite easily bring down a Blackhawk helicopter.

    1 x Blackhawk = 10.1 million dollars US

    The math alone should have the Mex Gov seriously worried.

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  5. Where do you think this shits coming from.....you think this shit could be missing from our arsenal......corruption

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    1. The answer is from anywhere where there is corruption or a war zone I know is not the answer every wants..if you use logic and think about the criminal power and the amount of money that the mexicans cartel have available ...it could be , either Pakistan, iraq, syria, Africa or the black market in the USA. I saw a video on "you tube" that the farc in colombia had them , maybe they bought one from the same source communist venezuela aka cuba north korea russia ukraine maybe??

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    2. 8:51 no sea pendejo paisaje de albañil, if you give a stinger for free, you get to sell a replacement chopper for 10 million dollars to the stupid mexican government.
      Also, the mossad has more than one stinger to give away to create a biiig baaad image of terroristas, they would like to create another bigger country for themselves, without so many Palestinians around, but a banana republic full of free slave labor would be nice...

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    3. Well im not so sure they can sell more, as the three blackhawks that the marines have were all given over as part of the merida initiative. ergo Mexico didnt pay for them. USA donated them as part of an aid package to fight narco trafficking.

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    4. @416am well I appreciate your opinion, but the insult of pendejo wasn't necessary...why can individuals like your self learn to express their respective opinions with out profanity?? Look I read borderbeats on a daily basis, not to mention other new site amongst my own hustle of social media gossiping...Look is ok if you expressed your Interest but leave the profanity out of it...there is no need and it takes away from this great Web site... by the way mexico did not but any black hawks they where give out under the merida initiative, but you are right about the Palestinian connection to mexico.

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    5. come on PINCHE...really?

      and Mexico has purchased blackhawks from U.S. google the stories in fact in march they bought 3 in March and 18 last tear.

      http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2015/05/mexican-spending-spree-purchasing.html

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  6. Mexico still has a bit more to go to see what a true narco state looks like #colombiawhenpablo

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    1. 3:25 Colombia under Alvaro Uribe Velez and Juan Manuel Santos.
      Now presidente santos FARC PARTNER...was and is a true narco state, with total narcos in power, like mexico and the US...
      --The colombians just used pablo and the guerrillas like the mexican government has used the mexican capos, then dispose of them...

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  7. Just to put my input here, My brother is on the us army and I asked what's is this via text meaning the actual weapon, he said he wasn't sure so he asked his buddy on the marines and he said the following . heat seeking.. man portable missile. Used to bringing down air craft...I asked him if they are easy to use and he said that ,is just some what aim and shoot and the weapon does the rest....is actually kind of scary that they are on the hands of mexican criminals.... i guess, is just a matter of time before they commit a terrorist act aka bring down a passenger jet...I hope the American government slaps peña nieto around for allowing this kind of terrorism right next to el paso texas wow...im seriously afraid to fly over Mexican territory...no Acapulco for me this year.

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    1. Hahaha the cartels would never bring down an airliner. Everyone learned their lesson after Pablo.

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    2. @8:20. Maybe not so dumb.

      Avianca Airlines Flight 203 was a Colombian domestic passenger flight from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali. It was destroyed by a bomb over the municipality of Soacha on November 27, 1989.[1]

      All 107 people on board were killed, as well as three people on the ground who were killed by falling debris.

      Pablo Escobar of the Medellín drug cartel planned the bombing, hoping it would kill presidential candidate for the 1990 elections César Gaviria Trujillo.[4] [5] Gaviria, however, was not on the aircraft, and would go on to become President of Colombia.[6] Two Americans were among the dead, and because of this, the Bush Administration began Intelligence Support Activity operations to find Escobar.[6]

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    3. @820pm Hey hold it there genius , it makes sense if mexican narcos are low life terrorist criminals "which they are" they have no loyalty or respect for human life remember the car bombs in nuevo laredo at the police station ??, if they have access to air to surfaces arsenal like "ISIS the terrorist group" what makes you think that they won't do something crazy or irrational to force the mexican government into compliance or just to prove a point?? I think that no comment is stupid. because it seems to me that if a regular person is able to think about the possibility of a terrorist act , don't you think the narcos or the cartel know the possibilities? There is no honor among criminals!!!! As a tax paying american I demand the American government to ask peña nieto for answers!!! By the way mexican narco cartels are terrorist !!!

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    4. @DD your right on point!!history always repeat itself..it takes some one to think outside the criminal box. I could imagine the conversation of the narcos over a 12 pack of coronas...hey plebe what if we ,bring down a government plane or airliner from "mexicana " to teach the mexican government a lesson....yeah sounds like a great idea but the boss said to wait...sounds familiar? ?? it happened in colombia back In the 1980s..

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    5. Everyone learned their lesson after Pablo? What an ignorant comment.

      The reason is simple....the escalation of terrorism/control demonstration of power. Too many cartels using the same methods of intimidation which has lost power. War weapons scare people like nothing else. If one is educated in the practices of Mexican cartels, It was an easy call to see what was coming. Especially with CJNG involved. Even before the confirmed use of the 50 cal it was rumored that CJNG were using them. They used an RPG to take down an aircraft (helo) and now it appears they are supporting juarez with the heaviest of weapons. right at the border.

      CJNG apparently has a support agreement with NCDJ (La Linea)

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    6. @11:13pm you are right, cjng has connections to Europe via morooco northern africa..they move a shit load of drugs into spain. I wish I could record some conversations, I heard on the grape vain, from people that actually know some one in the valencias clan. In the gossip mill after a few beers , they are claims that most of the weapons come via Puerto lazaro cardenas from Europe via africa..I know it sounds stupid but why would some random construction paisas at the local bar would know some shit like this?? I guess for many years all the attention was on the caballeros templarios and the sinaloa cartel, that the Valencias el 85 y los del milenio, where able to conduct business like usual because the mexican government In jalisco had a bussines agreement to keep it quiet with out violence..all this has been going on since 1996, so do the mathematical calculations on how many weapons they have stacked up in random ranchos like la barca, ecuandureo, Briseñas..every one is focus on Tierra caliente, the real action happens in el bajio!!right under the noses of the military and the federal government in mexico, why?? Simple I dare some one to do some research on Alejo and associates in ecuandureo ,la piedad, michoacan...and the simple connection to rancho del sol..la linea and the cjng are associated..the real problem here to be honest is the corruption and complicity of the mexican government..why would a mexican general go to rancho del sol a few week before the killings?? The American government should get involved and stop all this theater..because the mexican government at the state level in jalisco and michoacan are so implicated that some times ,I get goosebumps when I hear stories about the dissappear and atrocities in the border of michoacan and jalisco...

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    7. Pablo escobar was BRUNG down by his disciple, cousin, partner and compadre Alvaro Uribe Velez with US help, to steal his business, the US has better "false positives technicians".
      Cubana de Aviation had a passenger plane blown in the air, on its way from colombia, and the bomber luis posada carriles, a cuban expatriate and his crew have been exonerated and protected by the US government for more than 20 years, you check it up...US is ok with friendly states' state sponsored terrorism, it helps rob drug traffickers' money and drugs

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    8. Thanks Chivis. Narcos have used anti aircraft weapons against gocevenment helicopters and such but like you said they have learned from others mistakes. As far as narcos being low lifes most are but taking such an extreme measure to bring down a passenger airplane would cause them to alienate themselves from other cartels and this would have the most serious concequenses for them. To this day not even the most ruthless cartel the Zetas has even been rumored to try and bring down an airliner. What comments like this do is fuel people with a Donald Trump mentality!

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    9. About Trump....I thought the same thing, but we have to be forthcoming and having weapons that can down out BP, DEA and other helos on the border...or ????? Is a stunning prospect.

      What I said was they have NOT learned to stay away from downing aircraft. It is complicated, but the biggest mistake experts make is try and determine what goes on in Mexico by pointing towards So America. Different Animal, logistic, culture and political climate.

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    10. Hey Chivis do you ever worry That when you leave your house the thing you post can easily anger the goverment or a group and they may want you gone. I was just wondering how is it that you walk drive around do you ever worry about your safety or your family's safety.

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    11. Thanks 12:17

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    12. @ 7:58

      I have only been scared twice. Never for my family, always for my employees in Mexico who have been with me for over 10 years. They know what I blog about, and decided to stay. only one person left because of fear.

      I have only received one possible real threat through BB.

      Delete
    13. 2:17 from used car dealer "el capulina" governor cesar duarte, new chihuahua billionaire to "el americano", used car dealer from el paso in michuacan, you can see some connection there to priistas in power...

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    14. 7:02 You really think that's new info. Anyone with half a brain knows drugs are trafficked from North Africa to Spain via Morocco. The Valencia are no more look into the old interview videos of the Resistencia members who were captured.

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  8. http://356007295890291112.weebly.com/military-hardware-tech/flying-cavalry

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  9. Is it possible his holding Obama fast and furious operation gone wrong weapon?????

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  10. This is terrifying

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  11. The CIA once provided such weapons to rag tag guerrillas in a far away land called Afghanistan...

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    1. Osama bin laden started as a moslem fascist guerrilla against the serbs, then aginst the roachians in afghanistan, for the US.

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  12. I don't think us civilians should be terrified. And despite claims here that no one has learned their lesson after Pablo, that's silly. It's possible some knucklehead could fire the missile at a military aircraft on the us side. But the boss wouldn't call that shot. He knows it would be the end of his career. That was lesson and they know it. This ain't "El senor de los cielos"

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  13. For one he's holding it backwards

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  14. You can buy inert versions of this..Without a battery pack, and the way he is holding it I would suspect its already spent, a trainer(and he isnt trained), or a mock-up(like a movie prop)..I have an Carl-Gustav Recoilless(Its a movie prop/Ex-Trainer..Looks, and acts like the real thing but cant hold real munitions)..

    ReplyDelete

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