Key Takeaways:
– Mexican authorities capture 24 surveillance devices installed by drug cartels.
– Devices found in San Luis Rio Colorado, a border city notorious for smuggling.
– Surveillance apparatus were attached to telephone poles, light posts, and palm trees.
– Previously in 2015, a similar network was found in Tamaulipas, another border state.
– Sanctions imposed by US Treasury on businesses funding Sinaloa cartel through fentanyl trafficking revenues.
A Crackdown in San Luis Rio Colorado
In a recent crackdown, Mexican law enforcement agencies have located and seized 24 surveillance cameras placed by a drug cartel in the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado. The confiscated devices, typically used by cartel lookouts known as ‘falcons’, were positioned strategically across the city, rigged onto telephone poles, light posts, and even palm trees.
Under Constant Surveillance
These cameras, seized in three different neighborhoods, were for monitoring the movements and activities of police officers and soldiers. Analysis of the devices uncovered by the authorities showed they were regular porch-style cameras, fitted out with duct tape for makeshift rigidity. Such surveillance networks have become a common threat in several Mexican border towns that battle constant violence stemming from cartel rivalries.
A City Under Siege
Situated on the edge of Arizona, San Luis Rio Colorado is commonly recognized as a town where Americans head for affordable prescriptions and dental treatment. However, in the recent past, it has increasingly felt the brunt of drug cartel violence. This is unfortunately not the first instance where cartels have used clandestine surveillance apparatus to maintain tabs on authorities in border towns.
A Recurrent Issue
As far back as 2015, a drug cartel in Tamaulipas, the northern state, had installed 39 surveillance cameras to observe the movement of law enforcement authorities in Reynosa, situated across the border from McAllen, Texas. These cameras, powered by electric lines strung above city streets, accessed the internet via phone cables affixed to the same poles. They were even equipped with modems and had the ability to operate wirelessly or via commercial internet service providers’ lines.
More Than Just Eyes
In addition, these Tamaulipas cameras not only captured movement around shopping centers, main roads, and certain neighborhoods, but also had a direct line of sight to strategic locations such as an army base, marine post, and offices of the attorney general and state police. The discovery of these surveillance devices highlighted an alarming trend among drug cartels to maintain constant, covert observation of law enforcement activities.
Deepening Threats
By the end of 2015, authorities had also unearthed 55 radio communication antenna between Matamoros and Miguel Aleman, two border towns. This dual network of surveillance cameras and radio antennas illustrates the increasingly sophisticated and alarming tactics employed by cartels.
A Blow to Cartel Financing
In related news, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against two Mexican businesses last week, charging them with funding the notorious Sinaloa cartel through revenues generated from fentanyl trafficking. This crackdown comes in the wake of an internal power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel, triggered by the surprise arrest of its co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on U.S. soil.
As Mexican authorities stay vigilant, the struggle against the cartels remains a daunting challenge. The latest capture of surveillance devices in San Luis Rio Colorado is a step forward, but there is a long, hard road ahead.