One of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations has recently established an elite team of drone operators.

This highly skilled group of sicarios has undergone extensive training to modify commercial drones, transforming them into airborne explosive devices intended for use against rival cartels and Mexican law enforcement.

Security analysts based in the United States, as well as Mexican officials and insiders within the cartel who spoke with The Daily Beast, have confirmed this development.

Known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (referred to as CJNG for its Spanish initials), this ruthless criminal organization initiated the process of weaponizing commercial drones over four years ago, as verified by both researchers and Mexican authorities.

However, the establishment of specialized drone units indicates a significant escalation in the cartel’s drone-related activities, Yahoo News reported.

A member of the Operadores Droneros (Drone Operators) division within the Jalisco Cartel New Generation disclosed to The Daily Beast, under the condition of anonymity, that their training as a collective began in 2021.

Only in the current year have they commenced active operations.

The primary focus of this group revolves around identifying and launching attacks against rival cartels such as Los Viagras, Knights Templar in Michoacán, and the Sinaloa Cartel in Jalisco, as revealed by the anonymous cartel operative.

Written by staff