An internal investigation by the Ministry of National Defense revealed that at least 3,968 members of the military may have had ties to organized crime, following background checks conducted between 2012 and 2020.
This finding once again highlights the infiltration of drug trafficking into institutions tasked with combating it.
The analysis was based on more than 45,000 members of the Army, Air Force, and National Guard. Of that group, 8.7% of the personnel evaluated did not meet the reliability profile, according to the released information.
The internal review itself suggests that the problem could be even greater if this proportion were applied to the entire operational force. Under that scenario, the actual number could exceed 14,000 military personnel with potential criminal links.
The investigation also reveals a limited response from the disciplinary and judicial system. Only seven members of the military were prosecuted in military prisons for serious drug-related offenses or treason. Furthermore, only 124 cases proceeded to civil trials between 2020 and 2021. The contrast between the findings and the punishments reflects a constant: the system detects the problem, but rarely punishes it firmly.
The presence of personnel allegedly linked to organized crime is no small matter for national security. When an armed structure is infiltrated from within, it opens the door to leaks of information about operations, internal protection for criminal groups, diversion of weapons and resources, as well as failed or staged actions.
Security specialists describe this phenomenon as institutional capture, a scenario in which the State loses its capacity for internal control. The result is reflected in the daily violence that persists in states like Sinaloa, with constant homicides, armed confrontations, disappearances, and communities under criminal pressure.
A Problem Not Limited to Criminals
The source emphasizes that violence in Mexico is not sustained solely by the power of the cartels. Corruption within institutions, the lack of effective punishment, collusion between authorities and organized crime, weak investigative systems, and the political manipulation of security also contribute to the problem.
As long as these factors persist, violence will not disappear; it will merely change form and actors. The internal investigation by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) raises an uncomfortable question about the State’s actual capacity to contain criminal groups when its own structure shows signs of infiltration.
The hacking of files from the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) by the hacktivist group Guacamaya has revealed links between former Sedena pilots and drug cartels, that at least 70 gangs control southern Mexico, and that the government allocates seven times more soldiers to detain migrants than to combat fuel theft.
Links Identified Between Former Air Force Pilots and Drug Trafficking
El Universal reported that the Mexican Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) has identified at least nine former military pilots with possible ties to organized crime, according to leaks from the Guacamaya group.
One of them was identified as being part of the Sinaloa Cartel. Another document details the connection to drug trafficking: “Former Mexican Air Force pilot carries out drug trafficking activities by air for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG),” reads an internal report from February 2020.
In a report titled “Air Intelligence Results,” dated September 2020, Sedena states that “organized crime uses airport infrastructure and national airspace, taking advantage of the power vacuum caused by the lack of capacity in some agencies, the absence of a legal framework in others, and inefficient administrative processes.”
70 Gangs Dominate Southern Mexico
Meanwhile, Excélsior revealed that at least 70 criminal groups are responsible for the violence and crime in Veracruz, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Pacific Cartel (Sinaloa Cartel) are the dominant gangs.
Source: radiomayainternacional
