Monster Trucks in Mexico: The Zetas Armor Up

Over the past year, six "up-armored" dump trucks and heavy-duty conventional trucks have been found in northern and southwestern Mexico, mainly in areas controlled by Los Zetas. The discoveries have suggested a trend in the drug war toward a more armored form of warfare, but this tactical evolution — if that's what it is — is still in its most rudimentary phase. Their ingenuity notwithstanding, Los Zetas appear to be the only Mexican cartel experimenting with the platform, which has yet to prove its tactical worth. It does, however, suggest an ever-deepening cartel conflict, and may lead Mexican law enforcement and rival cartels to acquire equipment needed to counter the threat.