Mexican Military Personnel Sell Body Armor to Cartels, Says Navy Chief

Mexican military personnel are stealing body armor to sell to cartels, top officials said.

In a recent news conference, Mexico’s Secretary of the Navy Rafael Ojeda Duran revealed an investigation into the sale of military equipment to cartels. The revelation comes at a time when Mexico’s federal government has been harshly criticized for taking a soft approach on organized crime under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Pushing the motto of “hugs not bullets” (Abrazos No Balazos), Lopez Obrador has sought to minimize violence by having military forces avoid clashes to limit bloodshed more generally.

According to Secretary Ojeda, there are cases where Navy personnel stole uniforms and gear from bases, however, they were found and discharged from service. The naval official said that removal does not lead to criminal prosecution, however. “If they want to commit crimes, they can do it outside [the Navy],” Ojeda said.

The secretary also pointed to the sale of military gear online, which was either stolen or sold direct from international manufacturers.

According to an investigation by Milenio, from December 2018 to date, authorities seized 4,087 ballistic vests with plates.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.