mick silver
19th February 2015, 03:57 PM
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-incredible-narco-tanks-built-200100494.html
7 incredible narco tanks built by Mexican cartelshttp://media.zenfs.com/284/2011/06/08/biz-insider-65x27_102440.gif (http://www.businessinsider.com/) By Jeremy Bender 2 hours ago
View gallery
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http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FLttGVxo9av0ekMhmly5JQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTQwMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-7d6b8d31054575a2e4cd4e1896fe1f57
Courtesy of pickuptrucks.com As violence in Mexico raged with intense competition between rival drug cartels and the Mexican government, the cartels came up with a radical solution for improving their capabilities in the street. Through ingenious engineering, and by taking a page out of "Mad Max,"Â cartels created so-called narco tanks.
These home-made armored vehicles, also known in Spanish as "monstruo (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=04a_1307331947&comments=1&use_old_player=1)" for their hulking size, reached peak popularity in 2011 as the Mexican military seized a garage from the Los Zetas that was being used to construct the vehicles. Four narco tanks were seized (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13676259) in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas in addition to an additional 23 trucks that were awaiting modification.
The Mexican military's subsequent crack-down on the creation of monstrous forced the practice to go underground. Narco tanks are still produced (http://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-discovered-narco-tank-factory-2015-2), but today's versions have their armored paneling on the inside so as to not draw unwanted attention from rival cartels and the military.
Below are some of the most impressive narco tanks from the vehicles heyday.
The behemoth versions of narco tanks were created from modified semitrucks.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Ba1btBLt7xwgRkQGe4VRyg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1MA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-e86dbed800834f7473bb38ea855b05e3
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSn1488v58) Dump trucks were also modified into massive steel-plated monsters.
View gallery
.
http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DiAgN7mXbI6VbjlQzG.lig--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg0OA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-5b16c9dbd1e3e102f7fd4c5c303d9f0c
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQc61D_nq5k) A narco-tank seized in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2011. Even smaller narco tanks were armored almost completely with steel plates that could be upwards of 2 inches thick.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/PS_kWbmn8Ko3cBWC7rwhug--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1Mw--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-3b66fc74289a9edcee4b0ebaa2b5a318
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hF6m-pxc3M) As part of further defensive measures, the tanks were usually equipped with double wheels.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AHUpZNxacAxY3EqyoVw_2g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTk2NQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-f0c2f6308ec2a1265df04c026369aea7
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJtrVDKZrW4) Offensively, narco tanks had armored turrets and weapon bays on the side, out of which cartel members could point assault rifles.
View gallery
.
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RlYP8.9XDqHbOFH8EagiMg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1MQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-7dd90e027a88b71f93e92f62ee6b5adb
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSn1488v58) Some vehicles were equipped with battering rams to plow through traffic and any potential roadblocks.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/80Qk9Fv5nwsM4kmZjZbBcw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1MA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-65a06fab99ed25c6455c4a3e1f23712f
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSn1488v58) NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do (http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2)
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7 incredible narco tanks built by Mexican cartelshttp://media.zenfs.com/284/2011/06/08/biz-insider-65x27_102440.gif (http://www.businessinsider.com/) By Jeremy Bender 2 hours ago
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FLttGVxo9av0ekMhmly5JQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTQwMA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-7d6b8d31054575a2e4cd4e1896fe1f57
Courtesy of pickuptrucks.com As violence in Mexico raged with intense competition between rival drug cartels and the Mexican government, the cartels came up with a radical solution for improving their capabilities in the street. Through ingenious engineering, and by taking a page out of "Mad Max,"Â cartels created so-called narco tanks.
These home-made armored vehicles, also known in Spanish as "monstruo (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=04a_1307331947&comments=1&use_old_player=1)" for their hulking size, reached peak popularity in 2011 as the Mexican military seized a garage from the Los Zetas that was being used to construct the vehicles. Four narco tanks were seized (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13676259) in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas in addition to an additional 23 trucks that were awaiting modification.
The Mexican military's subsequent crack-down on the creation of monstrous forced the practice to go underground. Narco tanks are still produced (http://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-discovered-narco-tank-factory-2015-2), but today's versions have their armored paneling on the inside so as to not draw unwanted attention from rival cartels and the military.
Below are some of the most impressive narco tanks from the vehicles heyday.
The behemoth versions of narco tanks were created from modified semitrucks.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Ba1btBLt7xwgRkQGe4VRyg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1MA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-e86dbed800834f7473bb38ea855b05e3
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSn1488v58) Dump trucks were also modified into massive steel-plated monsters.
View gallery
.
http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DiAgN7mXbI6VbjlQzG.lig--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg0OA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-5b16c9dbd1e3e102f7fd4c5c303d9f0c
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQc61D_nq5k) A narco-tank seized in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2011. Even smaller narco tanks were armored almost completely with steel plates that could be upwards of 2 inches thick.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/PS_kWbmn8Ko3cBWC7rwhug--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1Mw--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-3b66fc74289a9edcee4b0ebaa2b5a318
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hF6m-pxc3M) As part of further defensive measures, the tanks were usually equipped with double wheels.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AHUpZNxacAxY3EqyoVw_2g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTk2NQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-f0c2f6308ec2a1265df04c026369aea7
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJtrVDKZrW4) Offensively, narco tanks had armored turrets and weapon bays on the side, out of which cartel members could point assault rifles.
View gallery
.
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RlYP8.9XDqHbOFH8EagiMg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1MQ--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-7dd90e027a88b71f93e92f62ee6b5adb
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSn1488v58) Some vehicles were equipped with battering rams to plow through traffic and any potential roadblocks.
View gallery
.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/80Qk9Fv5nwsM4kmZjZbBcw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTg1MA--/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/en_us/Finance/US_AFTP_SILICONALLEY_H_LIVE/7_incredible_narco_tanks_built-65a06fab99ed25c6455c4a3e1f23712f
Screenshot/www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSn1488v58) NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do (http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2)
More From Business Insider
Ukraine's military is facing a make or break moment (http://www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-military-facing-make-or-break-moment-2015-2)
ISIS fighters, wearing Iraqi army uniforms, snuck into an airbase hosting US Marines (http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-fighters-snuck-onto-al-asad-airbase-2015-2)
This is the simplest explanation of why Putin is so opposed to NATO (http://www.businessinsider.com/simplest-explanation-of-why-putin-hates-nato-2015-2)
drug cartels
Click to view comments
View Comments (137)