Mexican cartels are increasingly using car bombs and other explosives.

Claim reviewed: Mexican cartels are increasingly using car bombs and other explosives.

Mexican cartels have expanded their use of car bombs, explosives-laden drones and improvised explosive devices, according to reporting published in early…

Verdict: True

Key evidence

  • The Associated Press reported on Sept. 4, 2026, that cartels across Mexico were increasingly using car bombs, explosives-laden drones and improvised explosive devices.
  • The Los Angeles Times described the pattern as an escalation in cartel firepower, while Fortune reported that explosives had been used more extensively for roughly five years.
  • The supplied sources do not provide a complete dataset quantifying the increase or separating the trend in car bombs from the use of other explosive devices.

Detailed analysis

Recent reporting supports the claim that Mexican cartels are increasingly using explosives. The Associated Press reported on Sept. 4, 2026, that cartels across Mexico were turning more often to car bombs, drones carrying explosives and improvised explosive devices. The Los Angeles Times similarly described an escalation in cartel firepower involving car bombs, explosive drones and roadside devices. (SOURCES_3, 4) The reported methods include attacks against security forces and rival groups, as well as buried explosives used to defend or control territory. Fortune, in a Sept. 5, 2026, report, said cartels had been using explosives more extensively for about five years, while another report identified the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as an increasingly prominent user as it expanded its reach. (SOURCES_6, 7) The evidence is directionally consistent across the supplied sources, but it does not establish a precise national trend line, such as the number of attacks by year or the share involving car bombs specifically. Several sources reproduce or closely follow the same Associated Press report, so they should not be treated as wholly independent confirmations. Even with that limitation, the central claim is supported: available reporting indicates a broader and increasingly prominent use of explosive tactics by Mexican cartels.

Sources

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