New Drone Strike Targets Public Office In Sinaloa As Explosive Attacks By Cartels Surge

A new drone attack took place at a city hall warehouse in Sinaloa as such attacks by criminal organizations surge in Mexico, according to a new report.

The warehouse began catching fire following the attack, leading firefighters to respond. There were no injuries stemming from the incident, which took place shortly after alleged members of the Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) posted a video threatening Mexican police officers with "bombing" them for supporting another criminal organization elsewhere in the country, according to a new report.

Concretely, the alleged operatives accuse police of supporting the Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The video, published by local journalist Jose Luis Morales and replicated by Infobae, also includes a threat to "clean the area" and a warning to civilians.

Cartels have been increasingly using explosives and drones to conduct attacks, leading both the U.S. and Mexico to step up operations to counter the trend. Last week the two countries announced they would step up their cooperation in the matter, largely to prevent drone attacks at the border.

Drone attacks in Mexico more than doubled last year compared to the one prior as cartels increasingly use such devices in their operations.

Border Report noted that Mexico recorded 77 drone attacks last year, compared to 35 the year prior. Henry Ziemer, associate fellow for the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the outlet that cartels are buying signal jammers to guard themselves against attacks from rival factions.

"Mexico has been at the leading edge of illicit drone use not just as a weapon against the state and rivals, but also as a means of intimidating and pressuring the civilian population," the expert added.