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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
In ongoing counternarcotics operations throughout Mexico, since March 7th Mexican Army units have seized 14,153.4 kilograms of marijuana, 1.40 kilograms of opium gum, 1.175 kilograms of poppy seeds, 49.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 8.2 kilograms of solid methamphetamine, 0.800 kilograms of glass methamphetamine, 56 liters of liquid methamphetamine, 23 kilograms of unprocessed marijuana, 2.55 kilograms of marijuana seeds and MP $2,459.00 (USD $194.08) in cash.
- An army unit with the Mexican 4th Military Zone seized several kilograms of marijuana March 6th in Sonora state. The unit had observed 47 packages of marijuana totalling 564 kilograms adrift along Sonora's west coast near Isla Tiburon.
- Responding to a citizen's complaint, an army unit in Sonora state with the Mexican 4th Military Zone detained three individuals with a number of weapons in Navajoa municipality in Deportiva colony March 6th. Weapons and munitions seized included 18 rifles, one handgun, seven weapons magazines, 410 rounds of ammunition, two motorcycles, two jet skis and two vehicles.
- A Mexican Army unit with the 9th Military Zone seized about four metric tons of marijuana in Sinaloa state March 4th. The unit was on patrol near the village of El Navito in El Dorado Sindicatura in Culican municipality when soldiers found 4,023 kilograms of marijuana in 393 packages.
- An unidentified Mexican Army unit in the La Laguna region of Mexico detained seven unidentified individuals said to be members of Los Zetas criminal group in an apparent traffic stop March 7th in Gomez Palacio, Durango. Contraband seized included packages of marijuana, powder cocaine and crack cocaine presumably divided for retail sale, seven rifles, one fragmentation grenade, nine weapons magazines, 261 rounds of ammunition and two vehicles.
- A Mexican Army unit with the 13th Military Zone seized quantities of drugs and guns in Nayarit state March 8th.The seizure took place presumably incidental to a traffic stop on the Texcalame-Los Ciruelos road in El Nayar municipality. Soldiers seized 1.40 kilograms of opium gum, 1.175 kilograms of poppy seed, three handguns, two weapons magazines, 326 rounds of ammunition and a vehicle.
- An army unit with the Mexican 35th Military Zone seized quantities of marijuana and other contraband in Jalisco state March 8th. While on patrol in Morelos colony in Ocotlan municipality the unit found four vehicles. Inside the vehicles soldiers seized 35 kilograms of marijuana, 593 rounds of ammunition, one weapons magazine and tactical gear. Three of the four vehicles were reported as stolen.
- A Mexican Army unit with the 29th Military Zone detained three unidentified individuals and rescued two individuals who had been kidnapped. Units also seized weapons and fuel containers in Veracruz state. The actions took place March 7th in Coatzacoalcos, Cosoleacaque, Acayucan and Oteapan municipalities. Seized materiel included one handgun, one weapons magazine, five rounds of ammunition, two tankers, four tanks and fuel containers with a total capacity of 106,000 liters, and three vehicles.
- Army units with the Mexican 13th Military Zone seized marijuana and chemicals used to manufacture synthetic drugs in Nayarit state March 8th. Contraband seized included 49.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1,349,400 kilograms of chemical precursors, 23 kilograms of unprocessed marijuana and 2,550 kilograms of marijuana seeds.
- Mexican Army units with the 19th Military Zone seized weapons in Cazones colony in Poza Rica municipality in Veracruz state March 8th. Included in the seizure were nine rifles, one 40mm grenade launcher attachment, four 40mm grenades, one rifle grenade, 101 weapons magazines, 978 rounds of ammunition, tactical gear, two vehicles and one ATV.
- Army units with the Mexican 19th Military Zone in Veracruz state detained two unidentified individuals in a presumed traffic stop near the village of Potrero del Llano in Alamo municipality March 8th. Soldiers found personal quantities of powder cocaine, one handgun, 32 rounds of ammunition and one vehicle.
- On March 10th, military units with the Mexican 43rd Military Zone seized weapons in Michoacan state. The seizure took place near the village of San Jose de Chila in Apatzingan municipality, and included five handguns, 550 rounds of ammunition, 80 weapons magazines and weapons accessories.
- A Mexican Army unit with the 5th Military Zone detained six unidentified individuals in Ojinaga in Chihuahua state March 9th. Contraband seized included 900 kilograms of marijuana and three vehicles.
- Mexican Army units with the 8th Military Zone seized more than 2.5 metric tons of Marijuana in Ciudad Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas in three separate incidents March 9th. Near the intersection of Privada Barrera and Calle Angela Barrera soldiers found 810.1 kilograms of marijuana in 144 packages. In the village of Los Angeles, soldiers found 912.3 kilograms of marijuana in 116 packages. In Santander colony soldiers found 859 kilograms of marijuana in 86 packages. The total weight of the three seizures amounted to 2,581.4 kilograms.
- Mexican Army units with the 26th and 29th Military Zone detained two unidentified individuals and seized quantities of drugs and weapons in several incidents March 9th in Veracruz state. The seizures and arrests took place in Ciudad Isla, Tepetzintla, Chicontepec, Cosoleacaque and Coatzacoalcos municipalities. Contraband taken by the military included personal quantities of powder cocaine, one rifle, one handgun, 118 rounds of ammunition, four weapons magazines, tactical and communications gear, one tractor, one motorcycle and one stolen vehicle.
- On March 10th, an army unit with the 10th Military Zone found a hidden synthetic drug laboratory in Sinaloa state. The lab was found in Perisur colony in Culican, where soldiers seized three rifles, six weapons magazines, 365 rounds of ammunition, 8.2 kilograms of solid methamphetamine, 56 liters of liquid methamphetamine, 250 kilograms of caustic soda, 60 kilograms of acetyl acetate, 200 liters of white gas, 200 liters of ethyl alcohol and 200 liters of unknown substances.
- Mexican Army units with the 26th and 29th Military Zones in Veracruz state detained three unidentified individuals, seizing quantities of drugs and weapons in several incidents March 11th. Contraband seized included personal quantities of marijuana, four rifles, two handguns, 678 rounds of ammunition, 30 weapons magazines, communication equipment, MP $2,459.00 (USD $194.08) in cash and six vehicles.
- Mexican Army units with the 15th Military Zone located a hidden synthetic drug laboratory in Jalisco state March 12th, arresting two unidentified individuals. Seized materiel included 800 kilograms of marijuana, 0.800 kilograms of glass methamphetamine, 230 kilograms of phenyl acetic acid, 3,402 kilograms of chemicals, equipment for the production of synthetic drugs, six rifles, one handgun, six weapons magazines, 54 rounds of ammunition and one vehicle.
- On March 12th soldiers with the Mexican 5th Military Zone in Chihuahua state at a checkpoint near the city of Ojinaga observed two individuals abandon a vehicle, then flee into the brush. Soldiers found 125 kilograms of marijuana in four packages in the vehicle.
- Military units with the Mexican 5th Military Zone stopped a tractor trailer rig at a military checkpoint near the town of Samalayuca in Chihuahua state, arresting the driver March 12th. Hidden in the trailer soldiers found 1,117 packages of marijuana weighing a total of 2,400 kilograms.
- Units with the Mexican 8th Military zone seized 239 packages of marijuana weighting a total of 2,275 kilograms in Miguel Aleman in Tamaulipas state. Soldiers also located 2,081 rounds of ammunition and 25 weapons magazines.
- On March 12th in Diaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas Mexican army units with the 8th Military Zone seized 54 packages of marijuana totalling 450 kilograms.
Badanov's Burnt Blunt Special
Mexican Army units attached to the 34th Military Zone incinerated quantities of drugs seized in Quintana Roo state March 8th. Drugs destroyed included 86 kilograms of cocaine and 14.5 kilograms of marijuana. The incineration was conducted at the bases of the Mexican 64th Infantry Battalion in Cancun and 7th Motorized Cavalry Regiment in Chetumal.
Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com