How Much Does It Cost To Armor A Truck? This Is What Members Of The CJNG And Sinaloa Cartel Pay To Protect Their Vehicles.

Mica for cartelinsider.com

In Latin America, Mexico is the second country that armored the most cars, although it is a resource that only a handful of people can access, including members of organized crime, whose purchasing power is necessary to buy expensive vehicles, modify them, and protect them in order to minimize damage during confrontations with rival groups or law enforcement.

The main reasons why owners protect themselves are for security and previous kidnapping or assassination attempts. Depending on the level of protection and threat, as well as the capacity and use of the vehicle, the type of armor that will be installed will vary. Currently, there are seven levels of armor ranging from one that prevents shots from handguns, to one that stops high-powered ammunition, bazookas, and shotguns.

It is precisely this type of protection that authorities have found in the cars and trucks that members of organized crime use during their disputes for territory, as well as in clashes with police and armed forces, and in caravans that they often organize in towns and cities where they operate.

According to the American medium Small Wars Journal, the trucks most commonly modified by cartels are the Ford Lobo, Ford Raptor, and Chevrolet Tahoe – with prices surpassing a million pesos if purchased new – which, when outfitted and armored, far exceed the firepower of Mexican law enforcement.

The companies that offer automotive armor service must be registered with the Private Security Directorate (DGSP) of the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC). Currently, there are 50 authorized agencies or in the process of revalidation, according to their website.

However, organized crime resorts to the so-called ‘artisanal armoring’, which is done with specialists – such as mechanics, metalworkers or welders – in clandestine workshops that modify and protect their cars according to their specific needs. Recent data from the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA) indicate that in just the first half of the six-year term, they have confiscated 241 ‘monster cars’ from criminal organizations.

These have been secured in the states of Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Michoacán, Sonora, and Chihuahua, where cartels such as Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), del Golfo, la Familia Michoacana, de Caborca, de Sinaloa, and el de Juárez operate. These cartels spend large sums of money to protect their vehicles, as according to the company Protecto Glass International, a level 5 and 6 armor costs upwards of 600,000 pesos. Therefore, the level 7 armor found in the narco cars would possibly cost more than a million pesos. Level 1, 2, and 3 armor costs between 170,000 and 400,000 pesos; and level 4 armor costs above 400,000 pesos, according to the specialized company on their website.

However, once armored cars are already protected, they must receive maintenance, which represents another expense that includes tire changes, filter changes, oil changes, and tune-ups every four to six months. In addition, modified ‘monster’ cars consume more gasoline since they are heavier and because they must always be closed, this requires the use of air conditioning.

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Mica

Email: mica@cartelinsider.com

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