By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Mexican Cartels Flaunt U.S. Made Weaponry
In the backroom of a market in Sinaloa, Mexico, amidst vegetable trimmings and milk crates, a man known as "El Flaco" sat on a worn out office chair. Wearing a blue shirt, worn jeans, and a ski mask, El Flaco, a self described mercenary, discussed a closely guarded secret of Mexico’s powerful cartels: the FGM 148 Javelin missile launcher.
El Flaco claims to have been trained in using shoulder fired weapons like the Javelin and now trains others. David Saucedo, a security consultant, confirmed the Javelin’s presence in cartel arsenals and suggested the cartels might be showcasing their weaponry to intimidate Mexico’s incoming president.
The Javelin, a sophisticated U.S. made missile launcher, is primarily used to destroy tanks but can also down low flying helicopters. Despite U.S. and Mexican officials denying cartel possession of Javelins, gaps in the U.S. Department of Defense's tracking system have previously allowed such weapons to fall into unauthorized hands, including ISIS and Kurdish fighters.
In Mexico, authorities have confiscated two Javelins from the New Generation Jalisco Cartel. Saucedo, who reviewed an internal forensics report, suggested a Javelin might have downed a helicopter carrying Aguascalientes’ police chief in 2022. The report indicated an explosive projectile pierced the helicopter, inconsistent with mechanical failure, pointing to a weapon like the Javelin. El Flaco claimed to know the assailant who fired it, having trained him.
Cartels have escalated their armament in response to the Mexican military’s increasing use of advanced weaponry, such as belt fed Gatling guns from helicopter gunships. This arms race includes attempts to acquire surface to air missiles and rocket launchers, some seized by authorities before deployment.
Cartels have also used these weapons to expand territory, particularly in southern states like Michoacán and Guerrero. Former Jalisco Cartel member Fernando José Ventura described witnessing 200 drone bombs dropped on a community over 24 hours. Since 2018, the Mexican military has deactivated over 2,800 land mines and seized numerous rocket launchers and grenade launchers.
The rising cartel firepower coincides with U.S. officials’ threats to intervene militarily in Mexico. Former President Donald Trump and other politicians have suggested bombing cartel operations and sending Special Forces to kill cartel leaders. El Flaco warned that cartels are aware of these threats and are prepared to retaliate, including using Javelins against U.S. forces if necessary.