Officials in Mexico have destroyed 50 "monster trucks" used by cartels in their gun battles. The vehicles, which are also referred to as "Frankenstein trucks" because of the modifications made to them — such as adding gun turrets and armored plates — were seized by the security forces. They belonged to a number of criminal organizations, including The Scorpions, a group of hitmen working for the cartel. Footage released by Mexico's federal prosecutor's office showed a crane toppling the heavy trucks before they were crushed. Some of the trucks were painted in camouflage colours while others featured cartel markings. As they are not easy to maneuver, these "monster trucks" are most often deployed as a show of force or when cartel members expect to be involved in a gun battle. Armorers in the pay of the cartels add bulletproof panels to the sides and sometimes battering rams to their fronts. Reinforced turrets from where machine guns can be fired are also a common feature. The trucks' homemade armor has become more sophisticated since they were first spotted in 2010. They are particularly popular with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Gulf Cartel. The 50 trucks destroyed by the prosecutor's office on Monday were all seized in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas. — BBC
