Drug Cartels Deploy Sophisticated Explosives in Mexico's Bloody Conflict
Mexican drug cartels are dramatically escalating their violence through the systematic use of heavy explosives, transforming local conflicts into full-scale warfare that threatens civilian populations and challenges government security forces. In the state of Michoacán, where cartels fight for control of lucrative drug routes and extortion rackets, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have become the weapon of choice.
Chemical Bombs and Drone Attacks
Police Captain Carlos Roberto Gómez, who leads Michoacán's only explosives disposal unit, has personally disabled over 2,000 cartel-made explosives in the past two years. 'Look, this one was used to attack a police post. Four people died. This explosive was dropped by a drone and didn't detonate. I made it safe,' Gómez explains while holding a large explosive device.
The sophistication of these weapons has increased dramatically. Cartels now attach pesticide containers to bombs, causing chemical injuries to victims during explosions. 'Wires, a light switch, and explosives. There's not much technology involved,' says Gómez, demonstrating how easily cartels can manufacture deadly devices using simple materials like car exhaust pipes and basic explosives.
Bloody Power Struggle in Michoacán
Michoacán has become ground zero for explosive violence in Mexico, with the border area between Michoacán and Jalisco accounting for approximately 40% of all IED seizures nationwide. The region serves as a major battleground between the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) and local armed groups fighting for control of smuggling routes, avocado and lemon farms, illegal mines, and drug laboratories.
In the Tierra Caliente (Hot Land) region, heavy fighting occurs almost daily between rival gangs or between cartels and security forces. Hundreds of families have fled their homes in recent years, fearing further escalation. Social media circulates constant images of decapitated heads, exploded vehicles, and military helicopters flying overhead.
President Sheinbaum's Dilemma
The recent assassination of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapán, has intensified pressure on President Claudia Sheinbaum to take stronger action against cartels. Manzo was a vocal critic of organized crime and the federal government's perceived lax approach. Despite being protected by 14 heavily armed officers, he was shot dead during a public event.
Sheinbaum has maintained her position against militarized approaches, stating 'I refuse to declare war in my own country.' However, following Manzo's killing, she implemented Plan Michoacán, deploying additional military forces to the region while continuing her predecessor's 'hugs not bullets' strategy focused on addressing socioeconomic factors behind violence.
Civilian Casualties and Community Terror
The human cost of this explosive escalation is devastating. Guillermo Valencia, a local politician and activist, works to warn farmers about mine-infested areas. 'He was one of the few who dared to stand up against the criminals,' Valencia says of his friend Bernardo Bravo, a lemon farmer recently murdered for speaking out against cartel extortion.
This year, a 15-year-old boy collecting lemons stepped on a stray explosive, dying instantly. According to residents, body parts remain scattered in the field where he died. His mother, too terrified to retrieve them, refuses to speak with journalists. In Michoacán, speaking out means certain death.
The use of IEDs in Mexico has skyrocketed from just 3 seizures in 2020-2021 to 1,375 in 2022, with 1,681 seized in 2023 and 1,571 by October 2024, according to Insight Crime. These devices have spread from concentrated areas to 25 of Mexico's 32 states, reflecting the growing sophistication and territorial expansion of organized crime groups.