Posts Tagged ‘ System Disruption ’

Countering system disruptions: concepts and lessons

In MXSECURITY we have constantly warned about the increasing threat of system disruption techniques by Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs).

On May 17th, we pointed out that DTOs could eventually target critical urban infrastructure such as electric power lines, communication hubs or key highways in Mexico’s major cities.

By then DTOs had already disrupted large cities such as Monterrey or even Mexico City, by blocking the cities’ main highways with barricades. However, as we then said, the complexity of the system disruption techniques used by the drug gangs would eventually increase.

In Monterrey for instance, DTOs have started to attack electric power hubs as a clear intent to cause major blackouts. It is not yet clear if these attacks have been successful so far, since local authorities have remained silent on this topic. Nevertheless, similar reports have emerged in the neighboring state of Tamaulipas, where drug gangs related to Los Zetas organization are believed to have caused major damages to small-sized electric stations.

We should not ask ourselves if these attacks will get more complex in the upcoming future –they certainly will, but how can local governments effectively tackle them.

During the past week, local and state authorities in Monterrey announced the creation of the so called “anti-blockade enforcement groups”, comprised of state and municipal policemen with helicopter support. The idea is not bad at all; however since local police forces are deeply corrupted by DTOs, the success of the entire anti-blockade strategy is yet to be seen.

Perhaps local authorities should look at international experiences were criminal syndicates have used similar system disruption tactics.

Sao Paulo, Brazil could be a good example.

During 2006 the Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC (First Command of the Capital), a Brazilian criminal syndicate that first started to control local penitentiaries and then moved to a wider scope of illegal activities, attacked the city of Sao Paulo. The PCC hijacked public transport buses and burned them in the middle of the city’s main highways. Schools and government buildings were closed, transportation was halted and several banks robbed.

Throughout several days, Sao Paulo experienced a series of system disruption attacks that collapsed its entire economic and social life.

Lessons drawn from this experience point out two main operational concepts regarding the PCC’s capabilities:

• Mobility: The PCC used small commandos that simultaneously committed the attacks, making it harder to police forces to respond.

• Network-centric communications: The gang-style commandos did not use different communication systems. Instead they communicated with each other and received orders by cell phone. It’s been said that police forces in Sao Paulo did use different communication channels -radios with diverse frequencies- that further complicated their response.

While the PCC had an agile and “networked structure”, police forces were disperse.

In regard to system disruption tactics, the Sao Paulo experience shows us that police and military forces must have a clear command-and-control structure, operate under a network-centric communications system and assure mobility (active helicopter support instead of a passive one).

The anti-blockade enforcement groups created in Monterrey should learn from the Sao Paulo experience. It is not enough to assemble such groups if they don’t operate under a comprehensive, network-centric strategy.

If these anti-blockade groups operate with different communication systems, lack a clear command-and-control structure and have a passive helicopter support, they’ll simply fail

2010
08/19
CATEGORY
Analysis
2 comments

The increasing threat of System Disruptions

Some days ago we discussed about the increasing threat of system disruption techniques by Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime Syndicates.

As we stated before, system disruption tactics have been used by guerrilla groups and labor unions to destabilize large urban centers -such as Mexico City- by sabotaging critical electricity hubs or attacking gas pipelines.

On May 17th, MXSECURITY warned that…

“While these attacks have been political-motivated so far, they present a serious challenge to Mexico’s National Security in the context of the war against drugs and organized crime”.

We also stated that…

 “In MXSECURITY we believe that there is a possibility that DTO’s could eventually attack critical urban infrastructure within Mexico’s most important cities”.

Well, two days ago Mexico City experienced a series of system disruption attacks organized by criminal gangs from the Barrio de Tepito, the city’s most dangerous crime hub.

Street Blockade (Picture: El Universal)

Hundreds of people -arguing that criminal gangs were kidnapping children in the barrio- blocked several streets and paralyzed traffic for more than 24 hours.

Although the protests would appear fair –the social demands seemed that way- it is now clear that criminal organizations orchestrated them in order to reassert their controlled territories.

The use of civilians to attack critical infrastructure under a social umbrella is a common practice in system disruption strategies for it complicates the response of police and security forces.

In MXSECURITY we still believe that system disruptions actions will keep rising as long as criminal organizations learn how effective –and relatively easy- these tactics are.

Security forces –mostly in the local level- should not underestimate this.

2010
06/04
CATEGORY
Analysis
2 comments

Urban infrastructure and system disruptions: the next stage of narco-violence?

In the summer of 2007, a number of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) destroyed gas pipelines in the states of Guanajuato, Querétaro and Veracruz. The explosions –vindicated by the Marxist guerrilla group Popular Revolutionary Army- did not cause human casualties, but inflicted serious economic damage worth 150 million dollars.

On May 13, 2010 several electricity blackouts affected 13 out of 16 Mexico City’s districts, altering normal life in one of the world’s biggest cities. The Mexican Electrical Workers Union (SME in Spanish) is being accused by government authorities as the group behind the attacks.

While these attacks have been political-motivated so far, they present a serious challenge to Mexico’s National Security in the context of the war against drugs and organized crime.

Let me be clear on this. Given the enormous availability of resources among Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO’s), the use of system disruption techniques would have devastating effects.

In MXSECURITY we believe that there is a possibility that DTO’s could eventually attack critical urban infrastructure within Mexico’s most important cities, targeting electric power lines, sewage and potable water pipes or telephone/internet communication hubs.

Local governments (state, city levels) should start thinking of anti-disruption tactics.

To learn more on system disruption experiences I recommend John Robb’s book “Brave New War, the next stage of terrorism and the end of globalization”. You can also follow his blog on. For a more profound analysis regarding urban-guerrilla disruption tactics you should read “Swarming on the Battlefield”, by the US think tank RAND.

2010
05/17
CATEGORY
National Security Analysis
2 comments
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