Mexican Drug War

Mexican Marines and U.S. Navy sailors from amphibious assault ship USS Bataan cleaning up debris following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in D'Iberville, Mississippi in 2005

U.S. President George W. Bush conveys his gratitude to a Mexican Marine, on their clean up efforts in Gulfport, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina in 2005

Mexican Marines in Mexico's 2009 independence day parade displaying three different camouflage patterns used by the Mexican Marine Corps.

A Mexican Marine fast-ropes onto the flight deck of the German support ship Frankfurt Am Main during a simulated multi-national maritime interdiction operation in 2009

Mexican Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians formulate a plan to defeat a simulated improvised explosive device during a subject matter expert exchange with U.S. sailors in San Diego, California in 2012

Mexican Marines on a training patrol at Officer Candidate School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia in 2009

Mexican Marines wait to board the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans for exercises in Manzanillo, Mexico in 2010

Mexican Marines board the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans for exercises in Manzanillo, Mexico in 2010

A Mexican Marine naval infantryman carrying an FN FAL 50.61 Rifle holds a security position beside a Peruvian Army troop transport Pegaso truck in support of noncombatant evacuation training during the Partnership of the Americas in Ancón, Peru in 2010

Mexican Marines manning a Russian 9K38 Igla surface-to-air missile (SAM) dual missile launch platform mounted on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog truck of the Mexican Navy in 2009

Mexican Marines transport their gear to a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion aboard the USS Kearsarge during Bold Alligator exercises in 2014

Since the start of President Felipe Calderón's war on the drug cartels, the Infantería de Marina's role has grown from maritime and port security to land based operations in combating organized crime, drug trafficking, extermination of marijuana fields, drug interdictions at sea, and also participating in arrest of cartel suspects.^[5]

The Navy has carried out permanent intense anti-narcotic operations. Such tasks as the extermination of marijuana fields which mostly takes place in the north-western part of the country is done by first locating the fields by satellite or simply by air reconnaissance, then sending a team of Marines to eradicate the cannabis plants.^[6] One of its big seizures was in late October 2007, when Navy personnel in a joint operation with other agencies seized 23 tons of cocaine in the port city of Manzanillo, Colima.^[7][8] Due to its actions, the Navy and in kind the Naval Infantry Force has risen in stature in the United States.^[9]

Hurricane Katrina relief

Mexico sent marines to the U.S. in 2005 for disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina.

Emblem

The shield anchor, crossed with the carbine, has been part of the Naval Infantry since 1823. The shield of the Naval Infantry, as today, is the essence of their integration into the meaning of heraldry. Examples are the gold trim, which gives nobility, seriousness and elegance; the Admiralty anchor, which symbolizes belonging to the Navy; and finally crossed muskets, symbolizing the weapons used by the first generation personnel of the Naval Infantry strengthening the country as a nation-state, free and sovereign. Together they represent the dedication to serve Mexico by air, land and sea. The color red has always characterized the Marines around the world.

Banner

The Iconography of the Marines of Mexico has developed a description of the standard as follows: at the center, the Marine Shield with its original colors, scarlet red cloth with gold-colored robes. In addition to being waved at official ceremonies, the Corps Standard (Estandarte) is present in all parades wherein the Corps takes part as a constituent branch of the navy proper. The corps standard is also present in the Corps Headquarters, all unit bases and in the Secretariat of the Navy.

Structure

After reorganization, the Marine forces were deployed under a new strategic operational concept with specific functions, including in the navy to the following Marine Corps units:^[15]

• Two Amphibious Reaction Forces—deployed along the country's coastline, each comprising two Amphibious Infantry Battalions, Artillery Battalions, Amphibious Commando Battalions, Boat and Vehicle Battalions and Amphibious and Services Battalions.
• Thirty Naval Infantry Battalions are organized as follows:
  • 28 are organized into eight regional Brigades deployed as follows:
    • three on the Gulf coast: 1st, 3rd, and 5th each with four battalions,
    • four on the Pacific coast: 2nd with one battalion, 4th with five battalions, 6th and 8th with four battalions each, and
    • one (the 7th) in Mexico City with two battalions,
  • one Presidential Guard Battalion (24th Batallón de Infantería de Marina de Guardias Presidenciales),
  • one Paratrooper Battalions (BIMFUSPAR: Batallón de Infantería de Marina de Fusileros Paracaidistas),
• two small Commando Battalions: Batallón De Comandos Del Golfo (BATCOGO) and Batallón de Comandos Del Pacífico (BATCOPA),
• Three Special Forces Groups: FESGO (Fuerzas Especiales del Golfo), FESPA (Fuerzas Especiales del Pacifico), FESCEN (Fuerzas Especiales del Centro)
• one Naval Police Battalion,
• 24 Marine (National Service) Battalions for National Service personnel, raised recently, plus 1 Marine Regiment (National Service)

There are two Marine Amphibious Groups (the Gulf and Pacific), which have replaced the two Reaction Amphibious Forces, whose mission is the defense of national coastlines against any conventional aggression. Each has a total manpower of 3,000 men. Both are composed of two Amphibious Battalions of Marines, a Battalion of Marines Commandos, a Marine Artillery Battalion, an Amphibious Vehicles and Vessels Battalion, which includes 12 armored APC-70, and a Service Battalion.

The 24th Marine Battalion "Presidential Guards", created in 1983, is responsible for providing security to the president. It is quartered in the Mexico City, like the BIMFUSPAR (Marine Parachute Fusilier Battalion).

Finally there are 3 Marine Special Forces Groups (Strength, Spirit and Wisdom is their motto). The FESGO (Special Forces Gulf) and the FESPA (Special Forces Pacific), both destined for missions in support of the then new Amphibious Forces Reaction In 2008, formed the FESCEN (Special Forces Center), based in Mexico City, whose purpose is to provide the High Command Headquarters a grouping of special forces mission critical. While FESGO and FESPA have an effective of 220 marines each, the FESCEN has less than 160 personnel.

The Marine Parachute Battalion is an elite force, which is the strategic reserve of the High Command of the Mexican Navy for high impact operations and emergency. The organizational and operational needs motivated the creation of BIMFUSPAR in 1992. The new unit was championed by then-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, on June 1, 1994. The Battalion is divided into three Marine Paratrooper Rifle Companies, a Weapon Support Company and a Command Group. The Company Headquarters and Services is integrated into the grouping of services 7th Marine Brigade, which belongs since 2010.

Each Marine Battalion has three Marine Infantry Companies, a Company of Support Weapons (mortars, rocket launchers and machine guns) and Services. Each Company has three Sections, each of three Platoons, which are themselves composed of thirteen elements in three Squads of four men under the command of a Third or Second Master. The Squads are formed by a Corporal Squad Leader, a rifleman grenadier armed with M16A2 and M203 40mm grenade launcher, a submachine gunner with a Colt RO 750 LSW 5.56 mm. and a rifleman with a standard M16A2. The organization of a Platoon at three Squads, a Section in three Platoons and a Company into three Sections responds to the need in any case with the three decisive factors in combat: assault element, the support and security.