Organized Crime Kidnaps Automotive Armoring Experts

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

In Mexico, cases of the abductions of automotive armor technicians and professionals are more frequent, this is the reason.

Video translation is as follows:

Rafael Trejo Vázquez: The seizure of armored vehicles used by organized crime revealed that criminals have engaged in kidnapping armor experts to manufacture the so-called Monstruo vehicles.Entrepreneurs of the security sector have denounced before the state prosecutor's office the abduction of automotive armoring technicians and professionals.  

Héctor Romero Sánchez: Unfortunately, technicians are being kidnapped so that they can go and teach them how to make professional armoring because what they’re doing is considered custom work. We are aware that criminals are kidnapping technicians. They are professionalizing themselves in armoring type issues.

Rafael Trejo Vázquez: Investigations have revealed clandestine workshops where armoring experts are subjected to forced labor.

Héctor Romero Sánchez: Once the kidnapping is committed, they take them to their workshops. Those workshops can be in different parts of the Mexican Republic. And in the cities where it is more accessible in terms of having all the elements and tools. Once they have their victims there they obviously bring people to be taught. If our fellow technicians are lucky they are set free and leave. Unfortunately, when they’re not so lucky they are killed. 

Rafael Trejo Vázquez: The seizures of these types of armored vehicles used by criminal organizations to confront rival groups have led to establish that in addition to weapons. The armoring of vehicles and the smuggling of tactical equipment are the main inputs of criminal groups.

Norberto Valle: Organized crime organizations have diversified their inputs, their tools, including the instruments with which they commit criminal conduct. Now they not only resort to arms trafficking and arm themselves. Now members of organized crime have tried to obtain other types of assets to commit crimes. We are specifically referring to armored cars. In order to be able to not only dispute territories and routes of rival groups. But also to confront police forces.

Rafael Trejo Vázquez: Criminal organizations operating in states such as Jalisco, Sinaloa, Sonora, and Tamaulipas. Have found experts in ballistics and armor as a new way to operate in the absence of regulation in the use of materials. That today is also available for criminals to build the Improvised Armored Fighting Vehicles aka Monstruos. 

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