Report Suggests Mexican Cartels May Be Using Special Weapons From US

(USNewsBreak.com) – Drug cartels are some of the most violent organizations in the world. In Mexico, these gangs basically run some areas, led by terror and force. A new report indicates the cartels may have special weapons at their disposal — and if that’s true, they’re likely coming from the United States.

USA Today Report

On June 29, USA Today published a report detailing an interview with a member of a Mexican cartel in the country’s Sinaloa state. The man, dressed to conceal his identity and referred to only by “El Flaco,” reportedly spoke about the weapons the groups have at their disposal.

El Flaco claims to be a mercenary, a hired gun. In his work, he says he carries out special operations, some of which involve shoulder-fired weapons, such as the FGM 148 Javelin missile launcher, something only available through US defense contractors. Not only does he use it, but he trains other people to use the weapon, too. The organizations reportedly have other weapons available, too, including land mines, drone bombs, and belt-fed Gatling guns, which are primed for uninterrupted firing, much like a machine gun.

US Denies Cartels Have Javelin

The US has denied that the weapons have landed in the hands of the cartels. However, according to the report, a high-ranking security official spoke on condition of anonymity and said authorities have confiscated them from groups. Not only that, but the weapons have allegedly been found in the hands of other terrorist groups, too, including ISIS. These claims suggest that despite attempts to track the weapons, the US is letting some fly under the radar.

What Would These Weapons Mean for Mexico?

One of the primary uses of the Javelin missile launcher is to destroy tanks, but it can also shoot down low-flying aircraft, such as helicopters. The USA Today report calls into question several recent helicopter crashes in Mexico, particularly where video footage shows the aircraft spiraling out of control for seemingly no reason. The official records say mechanical failure, but according to security consultant David Saucedo, there’s another reason: they were attacked.

El Flaco backed up Saucedo’s theory of the 2022 crash that killed Porfirio Sánchez Mendoza, a police chief in Mexico’s Aguascalientes state. The helicopter was allegedly shot down by a Javelin. El Flaco claimed that was indeed the case and that he also knows the person who shot it down, killing everyone on board.