38 Comments
User's avatar
Andy Viking's avatar

Another new drone war development I saw on a recent news report from Ukraine was an anti-drone drone equipped with a semi automatic shotgun shooting at Russian drones in flight, this vastly increases the survivability and reusability of the drone. The video also showed the drone being used to target soldiers on the ground, but it explained that this was not the intended purpose.

But I think it’s the use of drone attacks on the unsuspecting and innocent villagers in Mexico to scare them out of their homes, this tactical forced displacement, along with attacks like the grenade attacks on the nightclub and the general scare tactics that are the true “terror tactics” which make it hard for anyone to realistically argue about whether or not some of the cartels are “Terrorist Organisations”.

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Cartel drones versus CIA drones would definitely be some next level warfare. I think the CIA drones fly to high and are too sophisticated but let's see...

Expand full comment
Daniel Helkenn's avatar

Great information Ioan. What have you heard regarding Tucker Carlson’s report about military equipment including drones being purchased from Ukraine by the cartels?

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Thanks there Daniel. I havent seen evidence of that and also have seen Russians intelligence trying to spread that story. They have closer sources of weapons, including from the US and stuff stolen from Latín American governments. But if I see any evidence on it I Will report It. Best there!

Expand full comment
Tom Johnston's avatar

Here are some links that suggest illegal arms from Ukraine to the Mexican cartels. There has been an extensive black market in Ukrainian armament and I included links to investigations of the CIA in illegal arms trade-

https://www.theinteldrop.org/2023/06/01/weapon-us-gave-ukraine-spotted-in-hands-of-mexican-cartel-media/

https://openborders.news/2024-02-09-weapons-ukraine-end-up-mexican-cartels-report.html

https://en.topwar.ru/218311-meksikanskoe-smi-desjatki-prednaznachennyh-dlja-vsu-amerikanskih-granatometov-okazalis-u-narkomafii-v-meksike.html

https://discernreport.com/weapons-sent-to-ukraine-are-ending-up-in-the-hands-of-mexican-cartels/

https://www.sgtreport.com/2024/02/weapons-sent-to-kiev-found-in-possession-of-mexican-cartels/

https://www.theinteldrop.org/2023/10/01/exclusive-zelensky-and-us-partner-reselling-western-weapons-to-terrorists-and-drug-cartels/

https://www.shortlysts.com/p/arming-the-enemy-are-u-s-weapons-from-ukraine-fueling-mexican-cartels

https://armedforces.press/breaking-weapons-given-to-ukraine-may-now-be-used-against-us-soldiers-at-mexico-border/

https://ciagate.substack.com/p/noetic-continental-part-i-how-cia

https://ciagate.substack.com/p/noetic-continental-part-ii-how-cia

https://ciagate.substack.com/p/ukrainian-deal-exposing-ciapolish

https://devend.online/2024/08/06/the-dirty-war-on-russia-through-cia-nato-eu-private-companies-money-laundering-and-weapon-deals-investigation/

https://slaynews.com/news/ukraine-caught-embezzling-400m-us-aid/

This link details the corruption in the Ukraine which the United States has not only refused to acknowledge but also has censored information detailing the corruption.

Russian intelligence news briefs have been proven to be fairly accurate over the past four years. The real concern would be the type of weaponry that is available on the black market for cartels to purchase if there is US military intervention in Mexico and the development of CIA channels with the cartels in the past.

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Thanks there Tom - I'll check them out.

Expand full comment
Adrian Gonzalez's avatar

All of these links come from right-wing propaganda websites with "anonymous sources" and a bunch of "suspicions", so I wouldn't give them too much value. They seem to cater to individuals that oppose support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. There are also references to RT, which is the Russian-sponsored news company, so there is that as well.

If/when US military assets show up in Mexican cartels, I am sure Ioan will report it here.

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Thanks Adrian. Yep I try and keep an open mind to the evidence while also treating it all with a critical eye. Best there friend and great to have your voice here.

Expand full comment
Tom Johnston's avatar

The most significant links are from ciagate which is a substack run by CIA whistleblowers. To label everything as right wing propaganda is a deflection to try and destroy alternate viewpoints that have been crushed by the US mainstream media. What are we to call ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and Fox news which are government mouthpieces devoid of any truly independent investigations. Many of the links above are from individuals totally disgusted by the political and economic lies perpetuated by the US mainstream press concerning the Ukraine war, Israel's destruction of Gaza, South America and Africa.

There is not going to be any obvious smoking gun proclaiming the true facts of government corruption. They are not that stupid. This corruption has to be weeded out by piecing together an unbelievable amount of small bits of information that will point to a certain direction. Which means every source of information has to be examined and government proclamations of truth and fact are usually the true forms of misinformation especially since the US for example had the FBI and CIA directly involved in social media to manipulate the presentation of news they wanted to promote.

Expand full comment
Daniel Helkenn's avatar

I was wondering. I would guess that any weapons from Ukraine would find their way to the Middle East or Africa before ending up in Mexico.

Expand full comment
Omid Khayyam's avatar

If the US attacks the cartels (on Mexican soil), could the cartels become Iran’s next proxy militia? A common enemy there. Reports suggest that they already have a longstanding relationship. Although, attacking your biggest client would drastically affect business.

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

An interesting thought there Omid. There certainly has been concern among some intelligence services that a foreign power might try and use the. Best friend.

Expand full comment
John C. Lamb's avatar

Another blockbuster report!! Thanks for your hard work, Ioan!

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Well appreciated again. The stories just keep coming at me fast this year. Best John.

Expand full comment
Andy Viking's avatar

Here’s a link to the video.

The shotgun technology isn’t a semiautomatic, as the video explains.

https://youtu.be/As_cifXH1Fs?si=fy1ycXqBPHYjL_9H

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Thanks there Andy!

Expand full comment
Tom Johnston's avatar

Iran has been making the cheapest and most deadly drones and would not this country love to expand Mexican cartels armory if the cartels are directly attacked by the United States.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/02/deadly-cheap-and-widespread-how-iran-supplied-drones-are-changing-the-nature-of-warfare

Here is a link to the past history of cartels and drones-

https://greydynamics.com/narco-drones-the-use-of-drones-by-drug-cartels/

Go to the Russian war porn youtube sites and you will see the deadly consequences of drone attacks and how much damage can be inflicted for really a small price compared to conventional combat weaponry. The southern border of the United States could easily become a cauldron of destruction and violence without any easy defense from a drone attack. The chorus of the chants in the US to strike the cartels does not come without huge violent risks.

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Yeah, these primitive drone bombs in Mexico may just be the beginning.

Expand full comment
Deana Holmes's avatar

The US is apparently using military drones in Mexico, but the details have not been released. I can't help but wonder what kind of conflict cartel drones and US military drones might have?

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Yeah, I havent seen what a drone versus drone fight looks like, but that is definitely next level warfare.

Expand full comment
Tom Johnston's avatar

Here is another drone video on new technology now in use-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMsz8b0E8Yc

Expand full comment
Jonathan Ramos's avatar

It is sereal watching the evolution of this cartel conflict. From 2004 until now. When did the first car bombs or "viebeds" started to occur? Was it like 2010 in juarez? I believe the zetas first started utilizing them. Now it's Ariel drones.

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Yeah, the first sizeable car bomb was the 2010 in Juarez as far as I know. Lucky they haven't such massive car bombs in some other conflicts like Colombia. But Mexico is plenty bloody enough...

Expand full comment
Jonathan Ramos's avatar

Yeah it seems the only thing cartels in colombia had were car bombs. And hitmen on motorbikes not much else. You never saw technicals or "monstros" there. Maybe because it's terrain is too jungle for it

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

They love the motor cycle assassins in Colombia. They really invented the whole "sicario" concept as a mass killing machine as well...

Expand full comment
Jonathan Ramos's avatar

You know its funny I actually like watching a retired Colombian army guy on youtube and he often likes reacting to the Mexican cartel conflict and he notes how the warfare in Mexico is very "urban" where as the war he's used to fighting is in the jungle against guerrillas. And he definitely Mentions that the Colombian cartels never developed the same type of "technicals" or any of the current tech the Mexican narcos have. They truly have evolved from the escobar days

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

I'll have to check that out...

Expand full comment
Jonathan Ramos's avatar

His name is Mr jose. Mr jose reacciona

Expand full comment
Jonathan Ramos's avatar

Which sucks for Mexico because it's a completely fucked situation right now sadly

Expand full comment
Jonathan Ramos's avatar

Of course viebeds were used in iraq all the time by insurgents

Expand full comment
joe schmoo's avatar

interesting video. Gotta wonder if the Mexican military has the technology to counter armed drones? I somehow doubt it

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Yeah, that is a good question. I guess they can shoot them down but do they have decent tech to find them.

Expand full comment
YUSUKE's avatar

Thanks. Looking forward to it!

Expand full comment
YUSUKE's avatar

Great video!

Expand full comment
Ioan Grillo's avatar

Thanks and all best there Yusuke. Back later in the week with the answers to your questions.

Expand full comment