July 8th Badanov's Buzzkill Bulletin

Post Article 41 Edition

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

Mexican Army and naval units since June 26th have seized in several counternarcotics operations a total of 7884.942 kilograms of marijuana, 4.53 kilograms of glass methamphetamine, 171.44 kilograms of cocaine, five kilograms of marijuana seeds, according to data provided by official Mexican news sources.

• A Mexican Army unit with the 4th Military Zone located a vehicle containing guns and munitions June 25th near the village of Maycoba in Yecora municipality in Sonora.  Soldiers found three rifles, one 40mm grenade launcher attachment, two 40mm grenades, 16 weapons magazines and 575 rounds of ammunition.
• On June 30th in Yecora municipality in Sonora, an army unit with the Mexican 4th Military Zone located a vehicle containing drugs and other contraband.  Soldiers found 320 kilograms of marijuana, one handgun, one truck, one trailer, one motorcycle and tactical gear.
• An army unit with the Mexican 9th Military Zone found a hidden synthetic drug laboratory in Sinaloa state July 3rd.  The find was made near El Rancho La Palma in Sanalona Sindicatura in Culiacan municipality, where soldiers found 1.7 metric tons of solid material among them methamphetamine, caustic soda, sodium acetate and tartaric acid.  A total of 1,341 liters of liquid substances including methamphetamine, mercury, ethanol, acetic anhydride, acetone, hydrochloric acid and methylamine were found.  A total of 11 reactors, 13 burners, 29 tanks of gas and other contraband were seized during the raid as well.
• A Mexican Army unit with the 34 Military Zone detained two unidentified suspects and seized a number of contraband including drugs and guns in Quintana Roo June 26th.  Contraband seized included 1.63 kilograms of marijuana, 60 grams of cocaine, .530 kilograms of glass methamphetamine, five rifles, one handgun, 181 rounds of ammunition, 58 weapons magazines, nine scales, six sealers for nylon bags, 9,800 plastic bags and one vehicle. 
• On June 29th, an army unit on patrol with the Mexican 34th Military Zone found drugs in Isla Azul colony in Cancun, Quintana Roo, including 1.6 kilograms of cocaine, 50 grams of glass, and 5.5 kilograms of marijuana. 
• A Mexican Army unit provided support for Procuraduria General de la Republic (PGR) or attorney general agents in Coral del Mar colony on the Rosarito to Ensenada highway in Playas de Rosarita municipality in Baja California July 6th where a small sailing boat was seized containing 502 kilograms of marijuana in 320 packages.
• A separate Mexican Army patrol in Playa de Rosarito municipality turned up a second small boat and some vehicles.  Seized during the raid were  169.84 kilograms of cocaine in 150 packages, 56 grams of crystal methamphetamine, .442 kilograms of marijuana, two rifles, one handgun, three weapons magazines, 307 rounds of ammunition, one boat with outboard motor and five vehicles.
• A Mexican Army unit with the 8th Military Zone exchanged gunfire with armed suspects July 4th in Matamoros, Tamaulipas.  The unit was on patrol in the area when it came under small arms fire.  Soldiers with the unit returned fire and ended the firefight.  Three armed suspects were detained.  Four rifles, 24 weapons magazines, 1,325 rounds of ammunition and one vehicles were also seized.
• An army unit with the Mexican 8th Military Zone killed four armed suspects when soldiers came under small arms fire in San Miguel Villas colony in Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas.  Seized in the aftermath were three rifles, one 40mm grenade launcher, three 40mm grenades, 24 .223 caliber weapons magazines, 530 .223 caliber rounds of ammunition, and one stolen vehicle.
• A Mexican Army unit with the 41st Military Zone located a hidden drug laboratory in Jalisco state July 5th.  The find was made in Autlan de Navarro municipality where soldiers found nine reactors, 12 metal and plastic containers, 67 200 liter drums, 3,000 liters of toluene in 15 containers, 2,500 kilograms of caustic soda in 100 bags, one generator and five kilograms of marijuana seeds.
• An army unit with the Mexican 8th Military Zone located more than two metric tons of marijuana in Tamaulipas state July 7th.  The unit was on patrol in Miguel Aleman municipality when it found 2.197 metric tons of marijuana in 500 packages hidden in the bush.
• A Mexican Army unit with the 43rd Military Zone detained one unidentified individual and seized drugs at a military checkpoint in Michoacan state July 4th.  The location of the checkpoint was on the Morelia- to Lazaro Cardenas highway near Mugica municipality where a passenger bus was stopped and searched.  Soldiers turned up four kilograms of glass methamphetamine in seven packages.  The bus had a terminus in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.
• An army unit with the Mexican 27th Military Zone located a camp in Guerrero state July 5th seizing guns and drugs.  The camp was located near the village if La Joya in Acapulco municipality where soldiers found undisclosed quantities of marijuana and cocaine, 10 rifles, 34 weapons magazines, 1,915 rounds of ammunition, three stolen vehicles and tactical gear.
• Mexican naval units with the 4th Naval Region based in Guayamas, Sonora intercepted suspects aboard two boats sailing northward which had aboard what turned out to be almost five metric tons of marijuana.  Suspects aboard the boats were observed tossing contraband overboard.  The captains of the boats then attempted to flee the scene. Four Mexican Navy boats and two aircraft in the area were used to intercept the contraband and the suspects.  A total of 4.86 metric tons of marijuana were seized and five suspects were detained.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com

Categories: arrests, mexican army, SEMAR