This was expected. I suspect the learning curve will be especially short do to all the available information and examples for use out there. The thing to watch here is the possibility of Mexico tapping into private industry in order to deal with this threat. IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a need for specialists in the private industry, and of course those same folks will probably be called upon by Mexico through the Merida Initiative. The UAV industry will definitely be called upon for this latest phase of the drug war as well.
The second story below that ties into the whole IED thing, is cellphones.(Thanks to Matt for sending me this) Mexico is now forcing everyone that has a phone, to register their identity with the cell company/government. I am sure the cartels will find ways around this, but at least it is a start. The big one here to remember is when cartels start using cellphones for IED triggering, much like insurgents have done in Iraq or Afghanistan, that is when it will be vital to have a handle on cellphone IDs. Or at least the forensics for this stuff, as well as tracking signals.
That and tips that come in via cellphone text, can be better confirmed based on this registration. That whole ‘garbage in, garbage out’ HUMINT concept is one area that the Mexican government would probably like to clean up for their SMS strategy in their war. –Matt
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4/09/2010
AUSTIN – The Mexican military seized improvised explosive devices just miles from the Valley. The IEDs (or roadside bombs) are the same weapons terrorists use in the Middle East.
The homemade explosives can be sophisticated or crude. They’re often deadly. They’ve killed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS learned the weapons are also in the hands of the drug cartels in Mexico.
On March 30, more than 50 cartel members attacked the Mexican military in Matamoros and Reynosa. Eighteen people died.
