MEXICO CITY — Reports confirm the deaths of two more members of Mexico’s armed forces due to an improvised landmine, just days after a similar incident claimed the lives of two soldiers. This series of blasts occurred in Michoacan, prompting serious concerns over the unprecedented toll from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used by drug cartels in the country.
Carlos Torres, the interior secretary for Michoacan, indicated that these explosive devices, often resembling powerful pipe bombs, seem to be strategically placed around drug production sites or cartel camps. He posited that these explosives might be intended to deter rival gangs rather than specifically targeting military personnel.
“They install such devices around vital locations like drug production facilities or crime syndicate camps to protect against adversaries,” Torres explained.
One of the two victims from Wednesday’s incident was an army sergeant, while the other was part of the National Guard. Both were conducting patrols in an area heavily influenced by the Jalisco drug cartel.
The National Guard is a military-style force that frequently operates alongside the army and often incorporates active-duty soldiers.
Earlier in the week, two soldiers also fell victim to a similar explosion, with five others suffering injuries in a different region of Michoacan dominated by the United Cartels gang.
Torres noted that several other improvised mines have already been located and neutralized.
The Jalisco cartel has been heavily engaged in a brutal, long-standing conflict against the United Cartels, particularly a faction known as the Viagras, fighting for supremacy over Michoacan. This region is not only home to facilities that manufacture synthetic drugs like methamphetamine but also along the Pacific coast, which serves as a route for smuggling drugs and precursor chemicals.
Previously, the army had reported merely six fatalities from IEDs between 2018 and 2024. However, earlier assaults on law enforcement have also involved the use of drones designed to drop explosives, and the army has not clarified whether the prior six fatalities stemmed from explosive drones, roadside bombs, or both.
Torres highlighted that in the vicinity of Buenavista in southern Michoacan—where Wednesday’s explosion occurred—criminal organizations have utilized both landmines and small bombs from drones. Unfortunately, civilians have also fallen victim to these dangerous devices.
Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla described the devices like the one that detonated on Monday as “very rudimentary.” However, his account of the events leading to the soldiers’ deaths hinted at a disturbing booby trap scenario.
Trevilla described how a patrol was dispatched to investigate reports regarding armed individuals in a rural setting. Upon detecting an area fortified with barricades resembling a potential encampment, the soldiers noted they could not advance by vehicle due to felled logs blocking the path. They exited their vehicles and proceeded on foot.
Upon nearing the site, the patrol discovered three dismembered bodies in what seemed to be an abandoned encampment. However, as they moved closer, a buried explosive detonated, injuring the soldiers.
According to a detailed report on cartel bomb incidents released in August 2023, the Mexican defense department revealed that, in the first seven and a half months of that year, 42 members of the military, police, and suspected cartel affiliates had been injured by IEDs—a significant increase from the 16 reported injuries throughout all of 2022.