Mexican army puts stop to illegal car armoring operation
October 26, 2011
Auto shops that offer bulletproofing are not an uncommon sight in Mexico, but the nation's army recently found and shut down one shop that was servicing vehicles for drug gangs in Sinaloa. The Associated Press reports that 10 people were arrested and a number of cars and SUVs were confiscated during the raid.
Bulletproofing is a popular business in Mexico, but there are only 14 companies that are certified by the government to do the work they do, according to National Public Radio. But the drug cartels are also using the protection to keep themselves safe from the government and other illegal groups.
Armoring a car involves stripping it completely and rebuilding it. An SUV, for example will need at least a ton of added steel to reinforce the car and it is equally important that the vehicle still looks like an everyday ride so it cannot be easily targeted by the enemy.
NPR reports that President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels more than four years ago, and this series of arrests is just the latest effort to bring them down and make Mexico a safer place for residents and tourists alike.
People can use international phone cards to make calls to Mexico to talk to their friends about the latest news of the war on drug cartels.
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