Drug cartels' new weaponry means war

Los Angeles Times ^ | 13 mar 09 | Ken Ellingwood and Tracy Wilkinson

[rellimpank]

-- It was a brazen assault, not just because it targeted the city's police station, but for the choice of weapon: grenades.

The Feb. 21 attack on police headquarters in coastal Zihuatanejo, which injured four people, fit a disturbing trend of Mexico's drug wars. Traffickers have escalated their arms race, acquiring military-grade weapons, including hand grenades, grenade launchers, armor-piercing munitions and antitank rockets with firepower far beyond the assault rifles and pistols that have dominated their arsenals.

Most of these weapons are being smuggled from Central American countries or by sea, eluding U.S. and Mexican monitors who are focused on the smuggling of semiauto- matic and conventional weapons purchased from dealers in the U.S. border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

[DesertRhino]

I dont believe this. Just because they have a decades old smuggling route from central America, and just because Central America has a bunch of Marxist nations who want to send them weapons,, that doesnt mean the get weapons there.

They smuggle in the Dope, the RPGs, the grenades, the full autos, etc in from Hugo. But they shop at the Phoenix Walmart for semi autos and bullets. Ok, I got it.

[smokingfrog]

How can that be? The AP says the drug cartels get 95 percent of their guns from the United States.

[wardaddy]

just what we thought

[VeniVidiVici]

Somebody point me to the gun shows that sell these grenades.

Thanks.

[PhilDragoo]

[Force of Truth]

Wow keeping pot illegal sure pays dividends for the dangerous drug cartels. The mafia thanks you drug warriors.

[Does so]

"...Wow keeping pot illegal sure pays dividends for the dangerous drug cartels..."

If it wasn't cannibis, it'd be methamphetamines.

[Force of Truth]

If it wasn't cannibis, it'd be methamphetamines.****

Which only make up like 10% of the drug market right now. Not a biggie. I'm speaking pragmatically here.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

For hunting chinchillas! I mean, how else are you going to get the fur for a nice soft pair of slippers? And yes, I know they aren't in Mexico, but a 50 Barrett is big and heavy and it's "cheaper" to just ship down through Mexico via land, rather than air to Chile.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that a 50 BMG round doesn't leave much left of the little guys, but that's OK - all that ammo that's flowing from America into Mexico takes care of it - you just need to shoot more of them!

And the fully auto AKs and RPGs that Attorney General Eric Holder is so worried about? Those aren't for chinchillas. They're for smaller stuff, like chihuahuas.

The Obamassiah and his oracle, Eric Holder, want you mean red state, bitterly clinging people to give up your guns and God to save the chihuahuas.

WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHIHUAHUAS!

[gigster]

Chihuahuas are “Punting Hounds”.

[MrEdd]

This is why the newspapers deserve to go bankrupt.

The drug cartels were using soviet made RPGs back in the 1970s for heaven’s sake. What an idiot writer.

[GladesGuru]

IIRC, they were developed as a ‘dinner doggie’ by the “Indigenous Peoples” of the area now known as Messico.

[DuncanWaring]

The very first “hot dogs”.

[SIDENET]

These LA Times reporters are going to be in trouble with their handlers for reporting the truth.

PAGING JOHN STEWART.

GRILL THESE TWO ON YOUR GAY SHOW.

[SwinneySwitch]

Gun runners ping!

If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.

[B.O. Plenty]

Can’t get out of it...

Yes you can...just don't go!..or....be sick...or plead insanity....

[Fido969]

Chavez bought 100k AK-47 from Russia, and set up a manufacturiung plant for that gun.

Who thinks that thousands of those are going to Mexico through corrupt officials?

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

They smuggle in the Dope, the RPGs, the grenades, the full autos, etc in from Hugo. But they shop at the Phoenix Walmart for semi autos and bullets. Ok, I got it.

Yeah right! I'd tend to suspect that with their bales of US hundred dollar bills that they might try to corrupt a few Mexican army ordinance people as well. That way they can take delivery right off the tailgate of the truck and avoid lugging all that heavy hardware through the outback. Remember, there are incidents being reported of regular Mexican army supplying cover to drug runners ON OUR SIDE OF THE BORDER! Perhaps it's a plan for the poor soldiers to "supplement" their income?

I'd think it would be interesting to trace serial numbers of any captured M-16s back to see who Colt sold them to. Even money says "Mexican Army", any takers?

Regards,
GtG

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl