Explosions before dawn in El Guayabo, Mexico, signaled the arrival of armed groups using drones and other military-grade weapons. Residents like Ana, a mother of six, fled as gunmen entered the town. Weeks later, evidence of drone-dropped bombs and land mines remained visible.
The violence is part of ongoing conflicts between criminal organizations in Michoacán state. These groups are fighting both each other and Mexican authorities for control over territory and resources. The use of advanced weaponry has led to significant civilian displacement and casualties.
President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to use military force against certain drug cartels designated as terrorist groups. This move has been rejected by Mexican leaders who oppose U.S. forces operating on their soil. Despite disagreements about how to address the problem, officials from both countries acknowledge that cartels have acquired new levels of firepower.
Cartel members now possess Claymore land mines, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars made from gas-tank tubes, armored trucks with heavy machine guns, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and attack drones equipped with toxic chemicals or bombs. Many weapons originate in the United States; Mexican officials estimate up to 500,000 firearms are smuggled south annually. Criminals also build weapons using reverse engineering and 3D printing techniques.
In Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente region—a key area for drug cultivation—rival cartels such as Knights Templar, La Familia Michoacana, and Jalisco New Generation cartel have intensified their battles. Drones are used for surveillance and bombing runs while roads are seeded with IEDs.
Over two years, more mine explosions have occurred in Michoacán than anywhere else in Mexico. Farming villages often lack phone service or protection from violence; many residents flee when fighting approaches.
At least 10 civilians—including a 14-year-old boy—have died from hidden explosives in recent months according to Julio Franco from the Human Security Observatory.
Cartel militarization began in the mid-2000s with Los Zetas introducing battlefield tactics and equipment into organized crime operations. Other groups followed suit as did government security forces attempting to keep pace with new threats. The United States has also contributed technology such as fentanyl-hunting drones.
A major escalation occurred in 2015 when cartel gunmen shot down a Mexican army helicopter using a rocket-propelled grenade launcher—the first time this had happened in Mexico.
By 2022, reports indicated that criminal groups were regularly deploying IEDs and drones along with updated tactics. Security analyst Alexei Chávez described this phase as “a move toward paramilitary-style tactics and capabilities.”
Drones have become increasingly important for cartels due to their affordability and adaptability for attacks on rivals or security forces at greater distances than previously possible according to Vanda Felbab-Brown at Brookings Institution.
Criminal organizations responded to increased U.S.-Mexico pressure by importing scanners to detect government drones and hiring personnel skilled in drone operation while increasing arms shipments from the United States.
Local police often find themselves outgunned by criminals wielding Barrett .50-caliber rifles among other advanced weapons according to Alfredo Ortega, former state security chief for Michoacán. To counter these threats Ortega formed an anti-bomb unit led by Capt. Carlos Gómez—a team which remains small compared to its challenges.
Gómez’s unit discovered compounds where makeshift armor was added to vehicles and homemade explosives were manufactured including mortars built from gas-tank tubes filled with explosives.
Despite efforts by specialized units—who have seized over 2,000 IEDs within two years—cartel firepower continues growing faster than law enforcement can adapt or equip itself accordingly; even Mexico’s military lacks mine-resistant vehicles common elsewhere since wars involving IEDs became prevalent globally (https://www.army.mil/article/140707/mrap_vehicles_protect_soldiers_in_iraq_afghanistan).
Improvised bombs typically consist of plastic bottles or drainpipes packed with homemade gunpowder or ammonium nitrate fuel oil—a combination widely used for blasting purposes outside conflict zones (https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/ied-awareness-and-safety-procedures).
Chemical bombs are also being developed; authorities report drones carrying aluminum phosphide pesticides causing symptoms such as skin irritation or breathing difficulties after attacks on several towns earlier this year (https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/aluminum-phosphide-fumigant-information).
Colombian nationals—some ex-military—have reportedly trained cartel fighters recently; dozens of foreigners linked to organized crime have been arrested within seven months including Colombians and Venezuelans.
Under pressure from President Trump’s administration Mexico deployed thousands of troops but continues blaming U.S.-made guns for fueling violence; President Claudia Sheinbaum said most high-powered weapons come from north of the border while lawsuits against American gunmakers remain unresolved due partly to legal protections granted under U.S law (https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1168_1b82.pdf).
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives states it works closely with partners domestically/internationally against illegal firearm trafficking noting frequent use by cartels of powerful rifles designed originally for military applications (https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-national-firearms-act-definitions-barrett-model-82a1).
Cartel members often post images online showing off heavy weaponry such as Browning M2 machine guns commonly found on battlefields worldwide (https://www.army.mil/article/242317/the_m2_machine_gun_over_100_years_of_service_and_still_firing).
Residents returning home sometimes find only ruins left behind after attacks involving drone-dropped bombs—as Pablo Fajardo described losing his house: “Fear and sadness, that’s all I feel,” he said. “All that effort… destroyed in a matter of days.”
