HomeNewsBrief'Narco-Tank' Factory Found in North Mexico
BRIEF

'Narco-Tank' Factory Found in North Mexico

GULF CARTEL / 7 JUN 2011 BY PATRICK CORCORAN EN

Mexico's army discovered a warehouse with four “narco-tanks,” two still unfinished, near the border city of Camargo. This is the biggest-yet find of such heavily fortified vehicles belonging to drug gangs.

Authorities said that the trucks were being manufactured for the Gulf Cartel. This is the first time so many of these armored vehicles have been discovered in the same location.

The "tanks," which are actually heavy trucks outfitted with homemade armor, gun turrets, and even James Bond-like rear nail releases to throw off pursuers, have mostly been discovered in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, where Camargo is located. A narco-tank was also discovered in the Pacific state of Jalisco last month.

The tanks are typically homemade, with ad hoc designs and fixes. However, in the U.S., legitimate businesses are catering to Mexicans’ demand for armored vehicles. As UPI reports, companies such as Safeguard Security Holdings, Inc., which has a deal to supply the Mexican government with more than 40 vehicles with the highest level of armor on the market, are finding clients among private businesses and government agents alike.

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