Cartels In Mexico Building Their Own Armored Vehicles.

OK the news is this. The Various cartels have begun building actual quality armored vehicles as they war with each other.

The vehicles are supposedly resistant to grenade blasts, heavy weapons fire, and rifle fire. They have AC's built into them to keep the inside cool and the interior is insulated to reduce the sound of bullet impacts and lessen their effect on the occupants. Supposedly they are also very resistant to standard .50 caliber BMG fire. I wonder if they have tried AP ammo.

But this kind of Kludge Warfare is what makes them a very serious threat to not just each other but the rest of Mexico and U.S. Border Towns.

I would like to note that the media is erroneously calling them tanks. They are not tanks they are Armored Cars/Armored Vehicles. They are more in line with Military Armored Personnel Carriers.

One vehicle Courtesy of the NY Times Article

The NYT Article it Came From

Another one from the Bellingham herald◊

A host of related links

one more article with picture

Who watches the watchmen?

Building an individual armored vehicle is one thing. Building dozens is another. Building hundreds, or thousands...well, that would be something.

I think it's time we deployed tanks, artillery and attack helicopters to the border.

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."

Or we could just set up a few pharma labs, make our own drugs for the junkies, and give it away for free, then the cartels would be run out of business and couldn't afford a used Beetle.

If only it were that easy....

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."

It'd be nice to see a cost-comparison.

They'd probably invade in an attempt to shut down the free drug labs, and give us an excuse to off them.

Thus, no matter what, we fix the problem.

Sort of.

edited 9th Jun '11 4:37:38 PM by pvtnum11

Happiness is zero-gee with a sinus cold.

This is what happens when governments don't take care of business at home, and instead, start wars because "it's so hard to make yourself feel safe" and "you don't understand what it's like to be responsible for the nation's security" and such nonsense.

It's like feudalism... except with drugs rather than grain.

The term one is looking for when describing these vehicles is "gun truck".

And Tom, there is no point in deploying all that unless we wanna get as intimately involved in the Mexican Cartel War as we have been in Afghanistan and Iraq....and that can only come if we can convince Calderon (he's the prez right now right?) to invite us.

Final Fantasy, Foreign Policy, and Bollywood. Helluva combo, that...

blueharp: The problem is is there are apparently more where these things came from. This forces a war of escalation between the government and the cartel's. Your guns are not good enough to stop them well they have three options, Rocket Launchers, MK-19' automatic grenade launchers, APC auto cannons, and well good old fashion fuck you I am a real tank tank.

Who watches the watchmen?

Yeah, the thing you aren't getting is that practically any well-equipped auto or machine shop in the US could do the exact same thing. Heck, some high school shops could do it. But on the individual scale, not mass-produced.

Besides, force against force is always dumb, exploit a weakness, don't slam your fists together. So if you're choosing to get into shoot-outs, you've already lost. IMHO anyway.

Where do they even get all that stuff?

edited 9th Jun '11 4:51:52 PM by TheBatPencil

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

The results of the war on drugs! The Mafia, ON STEROIDS.

My other signature is a Gundam.

This has been going on for forever. When I was fresh out of high school, I went down there as part of a charity group thing, and there were militarized checkpoints, tanks patrolling the streets, the whole shebang, trying to stop the flow of drugs and money to and from drug cartels.

edited 9th Jun '11 4:53:54 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Steel mills and glass factories?

Any specialized components, chances are it is bought from corrupt Mexican government officials, or was already being sold to make armored cars or other custom modifications.

Makes sense. But kinda I like the idea of a cartoon supervillain being out there auctioning private armies off to the highest bidder better.

edited 9th Jun '11 5:00:37 PM by TheBatPencil

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

A lot of the problem is also that a lot of the funding and supplies are coming from outside Mexico as well.

edited 9th Jun '11 5:01:10 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Not until they start making bullet-proof vests in technicolor patterns.

Your forgetting the Cartels are openly aggressive and actively engage the police and military. They have actively used raids and assaults to blunt the effectiveness of either group so they can pursue their own agendas is various areas. They also could easily employ dozens of such work shops to churn out about a dozen vehicles. The cartels have a large amount of money and weapons available to them through the black market and other venues.

One vehicle could tear up an prepared police or military force encountering them. Those rams and the hardened frames are for more then just show and when you can't stop the vehicle that is attacking you your pretty boned.

The obvious weakness is finding them before they are loaded up with men and munitions and sent into action. After they are mobile its harder to stop them. Now the scary and serious question. Were these the only vehicles or have they launched some and have them out and about. Also is this the only shop is something I find to not be likely.

I did also notice a couple of the examples I have seen have turrets for a weapon mount. It is likely they are or were going to put machine guns into the vehicles. Also they either use heavy slab style or angled armor which makes getting through to the inside of the vehicle very difficult. They also look to be using thick bullet resistant/proof glass.

Lets just hope they don't go with the Kill Dozer Idea. That was a very devastating example of a one man kludge that wrecked up a U.S. town.

Gun truck isn't quite what I looking for. Most gun trucks are open topped. I would call them Improvised Armored Vehicles/Armored Cars in some cases. The wikipedia article is linked to other pages they all share similarities.

---

Marvin Heemeyer The guy who made and drove the Killdozer in Granby, Colorado.

Pic◊

Unmodified front end loader Happened in Israel. Before the driver was shot had caused a lot of devastation.

Shawn Nelson Stole a old U.S. tank and wreaked havoc before they got the hatch open and shot him.

Thankfully they are using cars with what looks like air filled tires at least. If they had the hardball military tires that would be really bad.

edited 9th Jun '11 5:16:01 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Who watches the watchmen?

That's already happening in many places, even without the vehicles it can get messy and bloody. Hence my preference for not trying to engage them.

That, and it obviously hasn't worked for the past few decades. I don't think it even worked well for Pershing. Better to try a different direction.

edited 9th Jun '11 5:09:58 PM by blueharp

^^ Technical. Like is common across the Middle East and Africa.

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."

Your still missing the part harp where they are going after the police actively. When the enemy brings the fight to you it is a bit late to avoid engagement.

Who watches the watchmen?

....

This is a very serious issue that needs an overwhelming millitary response: Send in the Bradleys

TALOSTALOSTALOSTALOSTALOSTALOS

These guys are playing for keeps and playing hard. They are probably just shy of becoming regional warlords.

God forbid they get their hands on some military armored hardware.

edited 9th Jun '11 5:15:36 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Who watches the watchmen?

Holy shit that's awesome!

edited 9th Jun '11 5:16:44 PM by SavageHeathen

You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.