Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #20: RPG-29 Anti-Armor Munitions

Note—Up until recently, weapons that provide for armor and bunker defeat capability at the levels that the RPG-29 is capable of, have not been seen in the hands of the Mexican cartels.  The fact that they have successfully obtained them—and the origin and mechanism by which they were obtained should be of extreme concern to everyone.

Key Information: See the RPG-29 images in the 2:26 minute video Drugs, Guns & Bling: Inside the Mexican Army's Narco War Museum hosted by the author/journalist Ioan Grillo (El Narco: Inside Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency) and filmed by Ross McDonnell via BuzzFeed Central (Original video posting 10 September 2013).
Who: The Mexican cartels; the specific cartel which had the RPG-29VR round in its posession is not identified.
What: The RPG-29VR is an advanced Russian anti-armor round capable of defeating all types of modern main-battle tanks including the American M1A1/2 Abrams. See Photo 1 where it is being held by Ioan Grillo.
When: The date the RPG-29VR was placed in the museum’s collection is unknown.
Where: The Mexican Army museum where the RPG-29VR round resides is found in Mexico City and is not open to the public.  It is meant to provide training for the Mexican Army concerning narco culture (narco cultura).
Why: The Mexican cartels have been increasingly obtaining military grade weaponry in their conflicts with each other and with Mexican federal police and military and naval units.

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