IED attached to drone in Mexico could show evolution of drug cartel tactics

(FoxNews.com) - The recent arrest in Mexico of four men carrying a drone equipped with an improvised explosive device "ready to be detonated" has stoked fears drug cartels could soon target the U.S. with bombs from above.

Mexican Federal Police arrested four men Oct. 20 in Guanajuanto who were driving a stolen vehicle equipped with a 3DR Solo Quadcopter drone attached to an IED, Small Wars Journal reported. The drone had a range of about half a mile, but modifications would have allowed it to fly farther.

State Attorney General Carlos Zamarripa Aguirre confirmed the arrests and the IED attached to the drone.

Aguirre said authorities investigated the drone, which contained a “significant amount of explosive and was ready to be detonated from a distance,” AM reported.

The four men, identified as Christian N., Angel N., Eduardo N. and Marcos N. may be charged with terrorism, officials said. The men belonged to a "crime cell," but Aguirre refused to say which drug gang or cartel.

The area where the men were arrested was being contested by several cartels, including the Sinaloa, CJNG and Los Zetas. Since the beginning of 2017, organized crime has increased in the region.

Along with the drone and IED, authorities also said they found cellphones, an AK47, ammo and a remote detonator in the stolen vehicle.

Small Wars Journal reported the men appeared to fit the physical description of having been trained in the military or by law enforcement.

It was not immediately clear what type of IED was attached to the drone or what the target was.

Aguirre's office did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

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