C/O Futures Cartel Research Note Series Robert J. Bunker and John P. Sullivan 15 October 2023
Multiple Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) improvised armored fighting vehicles (IAFVs) have been reported to now be outfitted with M134 miniguns as their main armament. The confirmation of the existence of one of these miniguns took place in August 2023 during a meeting engagement between a CJNG convoy and SEDENA forces in Jalisco state. These weapons serve to further strengthen the security rings around the CJNG leader “El Mencho” and bolster the firepower of CJNG IAFV based operational forces. The inclusion of the M134s in cartel arsenals further portray the ongoing main armament evolution of narco IAFVs and their growing importance in the criminal insurgencies taking place in Mexico.
