HomeNewsBriefMexico Unplugs Narco-Cameras
BRIEF

Mexico Unplugs Narco-Cameras

MEXICO / 26 MAY 2015 BY LOREN RIESENFELD EN

Authorities in Reynosa, Mexico have dismantled 39 Internet-operated cameras designed to spy on security forces, the latest twist in the so-called arms race for technological superiority between police and Mexico's criminal groups. 

State police in Tamaulipas dismantled the cameras, which were mounted on telephone poles in the city of Reynosa, which lies along the US-Mexico border, reported El Universal. The cameras were designed to monitor 59 “high impact” locations: police stations, military bases, the Attorney General’s office, other government agencies, and major thoroughfares in the city.

Whichever criminal group operated the cameras began taking them down once they realized authorities discovered the network. And while the government did not say which group operated the cameras, Reynosa is a stronghold of the Gulf Cartel.

InSight Crime Analysis

Criminal groups in Mexico tend to rely on paid lookouts called “halcones,” or falcons, to collect information on police activity, an activity that is considered a crime in Tamaulipas. Whichever criminal group installed the cameras in Reynosa appears to have bypassed the halcones, instead relying on technology to spy on authorities and control their territory.

The use of Internet-operated cameras is just the latest example of Mexico's criminal groups harnessing technology for the purpose of committing crimes. In another recent case, drug traffickers along the border have reportedly used drones and lightweight aircraft to move drugs above the reach of border police on the ground. Authorities have reacted to this growing sophistication by upping their own use of technology -- notably, drone use by US border agencies and authorities in Latin America has increased rapidly.

SEE ALSO: Mexico News and Profiles

The technological arms race has gone online as well. Criminal groups in Mexico have used social media to recruit informants, intimidate residents, and spy on their own members. Networks of concerned citizens have popped up on Twitter, which try to track criminal activity. Even more concerning, cyber crime and information theft are growing components of Mexico's criminal portfolio.

Still, the appearance of this camera network in Reynosa might feed into the Mexican government’s fears that the security forces are outmatched by criminal groups. In March, President Enrique Peña Nieto said criminal groups are “better prepared” and have “more sophisticated weapons” than security forces -- even though, as InSight Crime has reported, Mexico spent nearly $1 billion on military equipment imports last year.  

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.

Tags

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

FENTANYL / 19 JUL 2021

The United States saw a record toll in drug overdose deaths last year, driven in part by two powerful synthetic…

FENTANYL / 22 OCT 2021

Fentanyl continues to wreak havoc on both sides of the US-Mexico border, as Mexican security forces continue to seize the…

JALISCO CARTEL / 7 DEC 2022

Violence between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel in Zacatecas has now seen judged and police chiefs being targeted.

About InSight Crime

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.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…