HomeNewsAnalysisSinaloa Cartel Sought Anti-Aircraft Missiles
ANALYSIS

Sinaloa Cartel Sought Anti-Aircraft Missiles

SINALOA CARTEL / 4 MAY 2011 BY GEOFFREY RAMSEY EN

In a sign of the increasing level of sophistication of Mexico’s drug cartels, two men admitted in court this week that they attempted to purchase military-grade weaponry -- including surface-to-air missiles -- on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, two Mexican citizens have pleaded guilty (while a third was found guilty) of taking part in a scheme to trade drugs and cash for military-grade weapons. The men were arrested in February 2010 as part of an undercover operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The case dates back to late 2009, when one of the men, a suspected weapons broker named David Diaz-Sosa, approached an undercover ATF agent about purchasing weapons for the Sinaloa Cartel. As down payments, Diaz-Sosa and the other two suspects gave the agent nearly five pounds of crystal meth and $139,000 in cash. On the day that the arms were to be transferred, the group brought ten more pounds of meth to seal the deal.

As a copy of their indictment reveals, the men were after a laundry list of weaponry, the sophistication of which is alarming. Among the weapons they sought were an M47 anti-tank weapon, two AT-4 anti-tank missiles, shoulder-fired light anti-tank rocket, a variety of grenade launchers, two M-60 machine guns and three cases of hand grenades. Perhaps the most formidable weapon on their list, however, was an FIM-92 Stinger, a surface-to-air missile similar to those used by the Taliban in their campaign against the Soviets in the 1980s.

This choice is highly significant. The timing of the attempted purchase coincides with the period when the U.S. began to employ Predator B drone flights over Mexican territory. These unmanned drones generally fly at an altitude of 5,000 meters, which is within the range of surface-to-air Stinger missiles.

Ultimately, the fact that the Sinaloa Cartel is seeking military weaponry may reveal a change in its strategic operations. Traditionally the group has been the largest and most secure of Mexico's criminal syndicates, and usually limits armed confrontations to shootouts with other cartels.

Anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles have very little application to this kind of strategy. Rather, this arsenal seems to indicate that Sinaloans are gearing up for a conflict with the Mexican government, or even with the U.S., which does not bode well for the future of anti-narcotics operations in the country.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

CHAPITOS / 6 DEC 2022

In response to changes in the international marijuana trade, Mexico-based drug trafficking groups have shifted their strategies.

FENTANYL / 1 DEC 2022

Nuevo Laredo was set ablaze following the capture of a Northeast Cartel leader. But what does this mean for the…

EXTORTION / 31 MAY 2023

A new report has found that organized crime groups are overwhelmingly to blame for violence in Mexico, and the CJNG…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.