MW Weekly: Mexico Seizes Up-Armoured Truck from Cartel; US Conducts Raid and Airstrike Against Islamic State; SDF Seizes Massive ISIS Weapons Cache; 3D Printed Guns Recovered in Iceland Terrorism Bust
Mexican Authorities in Sonora Raid Cartel, Seize Several Weapons and an Up-Armored Pickup Truck
On October 1st, 2022 a joint operation with SEMAR (Secretaría de Marina) and municipal Vicam police was initiated after an anonymous call alerted authorities to the presence of armed individuals in the community of Vicam, Sonora. Upon reaching the area the task force discovered nearby infrastructure used by members of CDS (Cartel de Sinaloa) Chapitos faction, within the building the following was found:
3- AK-47’s
2- AR-15’s
15- magazines for AK platform
5- magazines for AR platform
2- 100-round magazines
4- green tactical vests
1- ballistic helmet
1- armored vehicle commonly known as a “Monstruo”
1- black Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup truck
1- black Dodge Ram pickup truck
1- black Toyota Corolla
1- black Ford Mustang
1- black motorcycle (unknown make or model)
-Multiple bags of marijuana and crystal methamphetamine
These makeshift armored vehicles commonly referred to as “Monstruos” are built on SUV, Jeep, and truck platforms (such as the Ford F-150, 250, etc.) that are obtained through theft both in the US and MX alike which are later transported into fabrication shops owned by whichever group is operating in the area. Numerous groups have been known to put these vehicles into use such as Cartel de Noreste, Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, Carteles Unidos, and many others.
It first appeared in use by the original formation of Los Zetas in 2010 with very experimental designs but seen rarely. Today, as the number of groups participating in the conflict has increased and so has the number of Monstruos in use not only during confrontations between criminal groups but against military, police, and civilians. While built to withstand heavy gunfire and even blasts, their design is also meant to create a sense of fear and intimidation in communities the groups attempt to enter by driving them through public areas in convoys while at times featuring groups’ logos on the sides; F.E.M is a notable example. But these vehicles have severe drawbacks, one being that their size alone makes them difficult to deploy to different areas of conflict which is why footage exists of these driven during the cover of night, driving in rural off roads, or even within cargo trucks. Fabrication quality massively ranges in these vehicles; they’re meant to protect the members inside during confrontations but can have a high failure potential if not protected well enough, which we have seen with the frontal armor penetrated and the engine stalling the vehicle and leaving those inside trapped during a shootout or in rival territory.
US Forces Conduct Raid and Subsequent Airstrike Against Prominent Islamic State Members in Syria
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