Photo: Mexican national security commission
Mexican Federal Police, known as “Federales,” has announced the discovery of a modified van that they suspect was involved in drug trafficking.
As you can observe in the low-resolution photos found in the gallery (we are happy they exist, though), the van had a cannon-shaped device. While never seen in action, it is presumed that it shot packages of drugs (unintended pun) over the border, straight into the USA.
The Federales found the van parked in the Agua Prieta municipality, which borders Arizona and New Mexico. It attracted attention as it did not have license plates and had its doors open. Even a rookie cop could investigate the matter, so it was a matter of seconds until Mexican police officers inspected the vehicle.
The canon was operated with an air compressor, which was powered by a gas-fueled generator. There was also a tank to store air, and the tube you can see in the two photos.
We are not experts in physics, but a system like this must have been carefully designed to operate efficiently, which involved using projectiles that would keep the tube almost airtight, while also capable of flight and carrying a package.
This is not the first reported use of such a cannon, Business Insider notes. Drug traffickers employed similar vans in 2012, and the Mexican Police had found one van just like the one in the picture two days before this one. Mexican newspaper Reforma claims that projectiles can be launched from up to 200 meters inside Mexican territory and still fly over the border.
In theory, the cannon is more efficient than a catapult or a trebuchet, but nobody on the right side of the law has seen these in action. On the other hand, the method seems to work, since it has been used for many years by various cartels. When compared to the “traditional” method of a tunnel, it suddenly becomes affordable, as all the vans were stolen.
The Federales found the van parked in the Agua Prieta municipality, which borders Arizona and New Mexico. It attracted attention as it did not have license plates and had its doors open. Even a rookie cop could investigate the matter, so it was a matter of seconds until Mexican police officers inspected the vehicle.
The canon was operated with an air compressor, which was powered by a gas-fueled generator. There was also a tank to store air, and the tube you can see in the two photos.
We are not experts in physics, but a system like this must have been carefully designed to operate efficiently, which involved using projectiles that would keep the tube almost airtight, while also capable of flight and carrying a package.
This is not the first reported use of such a cannon, Business Insider notes. Drug traffickers employed similar vans in 2012, and the Mexican Police had found one van just like the one in the picture two days before this one. Mexican newspaper Reforma claims that projectiles can be launched from up to 200 meters inside Mexican territory and still fly over the border.
In theory, the cannon is more efficient than a catapult or a trebuchet, but nobody on the right side of the law has seen these in action. On the other hand, the method seems to work, since it has been used for many years by various cartels. When compared to the “traditional” method of a tunnel, it suddenly becomes affordable, as all the vans were stolen.
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