Mexican cartels step up use of car bombs and explosive devices

On Sunday night, a car bomb containing 200 kilograms of explosives detonated outside a police station in the small city of Ojocaliente, injuring 11 people and destroying more than 60 homes, security chief Omar García Harfuch said during a visit to Zacatecas with President Claudia Sheinbaum. The state has recorded 23 explosive attacks so far this year, six of which involved cars or motorcycles packed with bombs, according to Attorney General Cristian Paul Camacho.

While car bombs have been rare in Mexico, they have been employed for decades, with the Tijuana Cartel using one in 1994. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is now the primary group using such tactics, including drone-delivered explosives and buried devices, as it expands its territory. In 2023, roadway bombs in Jalisco killed six and injured 14, and the military reported seizing about 2,800 explosive devices nationwide over the past four and a half years. Experts warn that the growing use of explosives intensifies fear and retaliation, complicating the government’s anti-cartel strategy.