SEDENA SandCat Blown Up By Alleged Cartel Landmine in Apatzingán, Michoacán

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat

An landmine appears to have exploded while an Army vehicle was crossing over a dirt road in the general region of Apatzingán municipality in the state of Michoacán, leaving up to 4 soldiers injured. It is widely speculated that a cartel group was behind the planting of said landmine.

The Explosion

On the morning of Monday, January 31, 2022, Army (SEDENA) Special Forces soldiers were traveling along remote dirt roads somewhere in the general region of Apatzingán. Some of the soldiers were riding inside SandCat vehicles, which are four-wheel drive armored vehicles that are sold to military and law enforcement groups. 

At approximately 10:30 am, one of the vehicles crossed over an explosive device which was semi-buried in a gap, having been previously placed by a criminal organization. The device exploded, severely damaging the structure of the vehicle and seriously injuring crew member(s) inside. 

The amount of soldiers injured is reported differently across news outlets. Local newspaper La Voz de Michoacan reports “there were serious injuries to at least one of the soldiers.” Red Michoacan reports “at least two of the crew members suffered serious injuries.” And the Los Angeles Times is reporting the explosion “left four soldiers injured, one of them seriously.”

One of the crew members is said to have suffered injuries to his right leg and his spine. His fellow soldiers immediately transferred him to a military hospital to receive medical attention. 

Other soldiers reportedly carried out a thorough check of the breach the vehicle had just crossed in order, looking for other mines that might be buried. They then began a search operation in the area for potential perpetrators but no arrests related to the incident were reported.

The Location 

The exact location of where the explosion occurred is a point of contention between some social media users currently, as debates rage as to whether this occurred in what is currently believed to be the territory of Carteles Unidos or the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación. 

La Voz de Michoacan and Red Michoacan both report the explosion happened on the”outskirts of Apatzingán”. Meanwhile the Los Angeles Times is reporting that the road was located “between the municipalities of Aguililla, Tepalcatepec and Coalcomán.”

Meanwhile Diario ABC de Michoacán reports it happened “in the town of Loma Blanca belonging to the municipality of Tepalcatepec.”

How can we classify the explosive device used?

Unfortunately many details needed to classify the explosive have not been released as of the writing of this story. 

An “IED”, or improvised explosive device, is primarily defined by it being a “homemade” explosive. An IED can take any form and be activated in a variety of ways according to NATO. There are no details available on the construction (i.e. homemade or manufactured) of the Apatzingán device.

A landmine is primarily defined as a “victim-activated explosive device, usually deployed discreetly on, or just below, the surface of the ground”. According to preliminary reports about the Apatzingán attack, it appears the explosive device could be defined as a “landmine”. 

Mines are also classified as either anti-personnel, designed for use against humans, or anti-tank, which are designed for use against vehicles. The size of the device is normally the determining factor when it comes to classifying if a mine is anti-personnel or anti-tank and that level of detail appears to be lacking in the current reports. 

It is important to note that according to La Opinion and Diario de Yucatan, Carteles Unidos used a landmine to explode a CJNG vehicle in early January 2022. To see the alleged footage of this incident, see below.

Source: Diario Mexico

SEDENA SandCats

In 2011, the Israeli armor manufacturing company Plasan won a defense bid to supply some 250 armored vehicles to SEDENA. At the time of the purchase, SEDENA said the vehicles would be used by their Special Forces in order to fight organized crime.

The SandCat 2 vehicles that were bought are based on a model used by the US military, which has been adjusted to Mexico's needs. It is based on the chassis of a Ford commercial vehicle. The vehicle can carry up to 2 tons and eight soldiers, and is equipped with a GPS system.

The vehicle seen could also be a Ford F550-based DN-XI, a vehicle which is built independently by SEDENA and often mistaken for the Plasan SandCats they own. 

Sources: La Voz de Michoacán, Red Michoacán, Diario ABC de Michoacán, Siete 24, Los Angeles Times

SandCat Sources: Archive El Universal, Estado Mayor, Y Net News