San Luis Rio Colorado, a city on the border with Arizona, has been plagued by years of violence stemming from drug cartels vying for control of the border crossing to smuggle drugs. The situation escalated recently when Mexican authorities discovered and seized 24 drug cartel surveillance cameras strategically placed on telephone and light posts in the city.
These cameras, set up by “falcons” – the term used in Mexico for cartel lookouts – were used to monitor the movements of soldiers and police in the area. Army troops successfully removed the devices, which were disguised as common porch-style cameras wrapped in duct tape. The cameras were found in various neighborhoods, some even attached to palm trees.
San Luis Rio Colorado, located across from Yuma, Arizona, has historically been known as a place where Americans visit for affordable prescriptions and dental work. However, the city has now become a hotspot for drug cartel violence, with these surveillance cameras serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict.
This isn’t the first instance of drug cartels setting up surveillance networks in border cities. In 2015, a cartel in Tamaulipas used around 39 surveillance cameras to monitor authorities in the city of Reynosa, located across the border from McAllen, Texas. These cameras were powered by electric lines above the streets and accessed the internet through phone cables on the same poles.
The cameras were strategically placed to capture movements outside military bases, government offices, shopping centers, and residential areas. Additionally, authorities discovered 55 radio communication antennas between border cities in the same year, further highlighting the extent of cartel surveillance activities along the border.
The discovery of these surveillance cameras underscores the complex challenges faced by border cities like San Luis Rio Colorado, where drug cartels continue to exert influence and control through sophisticated means. The ongoing efforts of Mexican authorities to combat these activities are crucial in ensuring the safety and security of these border communities.
