Intelligence services in Mexico and Ukraine are investigating reports that members of drug cartels infiltrate the Ukrainian conflict to gain experience with the use of FPV drones (first-person view), cheap and very effective weapons.
According to the French media Intelligence Online These criminals join Ukrain’s international legion, set up to receive foreign fighters, with the aim of learning advanced techniques and later applying them in their internal conflicts. The fear is that the knowledge gained in real struggle will accelerate the militarization of the cartels, which have already begun to use these drones in recent attacks.
Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa cartel, two of Mexico’s biggest criminal factions, already had to test FPV drones in clashes. In March, such an equipment was found intact after a failed attack in the state of Nayarit. Experts say the groups seek to emulate Ukrainian tactics where these devices are used to destroy vehicles, penetrate buildings and even precisely eliminate specific targets.
Ukraine has become a training ground not only for soldiers but also for criminals interested in modern warfare. FPV Dron Pilots require intensive training as the operation requires skills reminiscent of a flight pilot.
Ukrainian authorities have already crossed data on suspected volunteers with Interpols and DEA’s registers and identified possible relations with drug militia in Latin America. “Some only came to learn to kill with a drone for $ 400 and sell that knowledge“,” An agent from SBU, the Ukrainian intelligence service said.
If the use of these weapons becomes widespread among the cartels, the violence in Mexico can reach a new level. In addition to attacks on improvised armored vehicles, the drones can also be used for targeted killings, after the model seen in Ukraine. With CJNG as a front runner in this technology adoption, experts warn that the cartels are becoming more and more like irregular armies are able to challenge not only rivals but also security forces.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: x @defenceu | This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
