A “frightening stash” of grenade parts, fuse assemblies and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, hidden in a spare tire of an SUV crossing from the US to Mexico in 2010,was perhaps the ATF’s first clue about the killer drug cartels new weapons of choice – “hand grenades’ (see related article: ATF’s mysterious grenade smuggler case: new photos, documents turned over to Congress http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-57421072-10391695/atfs-mysterious-grenade-smuggler-case-new-photos-documents-turned-over-to-congress/ ).
GRENADES
The term Grenade refers to any explosive device designed to be thrown by hand.
Most grenades explode, projecting fragments, i.e., pieces of the casing, serrated wire, or an incendiary material.
See video: Basic Training Grenade Traininghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsib3V6GO6M
As violence escalates in Mexico, so does incidents involving grenade attacks .
See article: At least 53 killed in Mexico grenade attackhttp://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/08/26/mexico.grenade.attack/index.html
In March 2012 a Television News station was hit by a grenade attack (see article: Televisa Station Reportedly Hit by Grenade Attack http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/televisa-station-reportedly-hit-by-bomb-mexico-305408
DISTURBING TREND IN VIOLENCE
“It marks a disturbing trend in violence in Mexico, one that hasn’t really been reported too much in the US. With few exception you simply don’t hear about this aspect of the war south of the border”, said one Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police detective, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “I can’t say more without risking getting into trouble but the grenade castings can be purchased in Army Surplus stores around the country. People can use them as paper weights, but other send them to Mexico where they are rigged with fuses and explosives…”, he said.
One Washington Post article in 2010 put it this way: “Grenades made in the United States and sent to Central America during the Cold War have resurfaced as terrifying new weapons in almost weekly attacks by Mexican drug cartels…”
72 GRENADE ATTACKS IN 2009
The article continues: “Grenades pack a far greater psychological punch than the ubiquitous AK-47s and AR-15 rifles — they can overwhelm and intimidate outgunned soldiers and police while reminding ordinary Mexicans that the country is literally at war. There have been more than 72 grenade attacks in Mexico in the last year (2009), including spectacular assaults on police convoys and public officials. Mexican forces have seized more than 5,800 live grenades since 2007, a small fraction of a vast armory maintained by the drug cartels, officials said” See article: “Mexican drug cartels’ newest weapon: Cold War-era grenades made in U.S.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071606252.html ).