Taxis targetted for violence in Mexico

Cartels use Taxis for many logistical tasks

Tourists in Mexico report that Taxis are being blown up as part of the fighting between drug cartels and law enforcement in the ongoing violence taking place in the Jalisco region.

Jim Beck, an American visiting the Puerto Vallarta, said he stepped outside his hotel for breakfast on Sunday and witnessed widespread disruption.

“Taxi cabs [were] blown up all over town, blocking the roads,” Beck told CNN.

He added that people were soon running through the streets shouting for everyone to return to their hotels. Beck said he has remained inside while waiting for guidance on when it will be safe to go out.

Cartels target Taxis in Mexico as part of their operations for several reasons, primarily to exert territorial control, facilitate criminal activities, and retaliate against rivals or uncooperative individuals. Recent violence has often involved setting vehicles, including Taxis and buses, on fire to create chaos and block security forces’ movements, particularly after the arrest or death of a cartel leader, according to Google.

Key reasons for targeting taxis:

• Territorial Control and Intimidation: Attacking and burning Taxis are tactics used by cartels to assert dominance over a region, disrupt daily life, and instill fear among the local population and transport workers. This allows them to effectively paralyse a city’s movement at will.
• Logistics and Operations: Taxis are commonly used by cartels to move smaller drug consignments, weapons, or personnel within cities because they blend into regular traffic and are less likely to draw attention than private vehicles.
• Lookouts and Intelligence: Many Taxi drivers are forced to work as “eyes and ears” for cartels, monitoring police and military movements and reporting on activities in public places. If a driver is caught with drugs, is uncooperative, or works for a rival gang, they can become a target.
• Extortion and Co-option: Cartels often extort money from public transportation unions and drivers. Violence is used as a means to force cooperation and payment, ensuring the cartels can control the transport system and use it for their own purposes.
• Reaction to Law Enforcement Action: In some cases, the burning of vehicles, including Taxis, is a direct and immediate reaction to significant law enforcement actions, such as the arrest or killing of high-ranking cartel leaders, as seen recently with the death of ‘El Mencho’. These actions are a strategic form of communication and resistance against state forces. 

This violence has made public transport drivers extremely vulnerable, with many being innocent victims caught in the crossfire of turf wars between rival groups.