Sinaloa's Rat, Jalisco's Rooster: The Evolution of Cartel Patches in Mexico

MEXICO
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23 JUN 2023 BY YAGO ROSADO

The discovery of a previously unknown military-style patch identifying a specialized drone warfare unit within Mexico's CJNG highlights the range of meanings and symbolism these emblems can carry.

While patches are not universally used among Mexican criminal groups, one of their early adopters were the Zetas, a brutal criminal group whose founders were deserters from an elite Mexican army unit. Beginning as enforcers for the Gulf Cartel (Cartel del Golfo - CDG), the Zetas soon turned on their allies in the early 2000s and began expanding nationwide, with their iconography heavily inspired from their military roots.

Their logo made their territorial origins clear, with the Zetas "Z" next to a map of Mexico and of Tamaulipas, their home state.



Patches and symbols used by military forces also became more commonplace among criminal groups after 2012 when then-President Felipe Calderón sent the Mexican army to directly confront the cartels, driving up Mexico's body count and the use of wartime rhetoric. These insignias became a way to promote internal structure and identity, help specific units to coalesce, or promote loyalty to specific leaders.

The CJNG's Drone Operators



In April 2023, a patch belonging to a specialized drone unit of the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación – CJNG) named Drone Operators (Operadores Droneros) was identified for the first time. As one of Mexico's most brutal cartels, the CJNG have become pioneers in the use of drones to instill terror, especially in the western states of Michoacán and Guerrero. The group first used drones to drop explosives onto enemies in 2020, and recent reports suggest the CJNG has provided training to their temporary allies, La Familia Michoacana, in how to carry out similar attacks.

More:
https://insightcrime.org/news/history-military-style-patches-used-by-mexican-cartels/