Cartels in Mexico take a leap forward with narco-drones: It is criminal groups that are leading the innovation race'

"Security specialists in Europe, the United States, and Mexico have detected that cartels have infiltrated their members into the Ukrainian frontlines, where they have received training to pilot remotely controlled drones, readily available in any store and capable of being adapted as kamikaze projectiles. In this way, drug cartels are incorporating low-cost combat strategies which have proven to be a turning point in Kyiv's resistance against Moscow into their arsenal."

"Kyiv has managed to destroy Russian naval targets with this type of equipment in an attempt to compensate for the disparity in firepower between the two countries, and Ukraine has become a global center for tactical drone warfare training, which centers on everything from the artisanal manufacture and modification of the devices to mastering analog configurations, thermal camouflage, the use of various jamming techniques, low-altitude flight, and first-person view (FPV) piloting."

Organized crime groups in Mexico remain resilient against government offensives while simultaneously fighting among themselves, causing heavy casualties and civilian harm. Cartels have extended operations internationally by sending recruits to Ukrainian frontlines to train with commercially available drones and FPV piloting techniques adapted as kamikaze weapons. Low-cost armed autonomous drones have shifted tactical balances in the Russia–Ukraine conflict and enabled attacks on naval targets, creating demand for artisanal manufacture, modification, thermal camouflage, jamming methods, and low-altitude FPV skills. FPV drone academies tied to the Ukrainian Foreign Legion expanded to foreign volunteers, with many recruits reportedly linked to criminal records and networks.

Read at english.elpais.com