HomeNewsBriefZetas Narco-Tank Seized in North Mexico
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Zetas Narco-Tank Seized in North Mexico

MEXICO / 11 MAY 2011 BY INSIGHT CRIME EN

Mexico's police seized an armored tank belonging to drug trafficking organization the Zetas in the border state of Tamaulipas.

The tank is built out of metal, and El Blog del Narco said it showed technological developments compared to similar vehicles that have previously been seized.

It can travel at up to 110 kilometers per hour, and carry 12 passengers, with two openings from which gunmen can deploy rocket launchers, grenades and rifles. The vehicle reportedly had a space at the back from which passengers could release nails or oil onto the road to thwart pursuers.

The body of the tank was not damaged by a gunfight with the authorities, but its tires were punctured, as it lacked proper wheel guards.

Police made the find in Ciudad Mier, a small town which hit the headlines in November last year when the majority of its residents left, fleeing a turf war between the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel.

This is the latest in a series of seizures of increasingly sophisticated armored vehicles owned by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations.

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