"Guatemala finds Mexico drug smuggler training camp."

Here is an excerpt from Sarah Grainger's article on Reuters.com:

"Guatemalan security forces have discovered a camp run by Mexico's most violent drug gang where traffickers trained dozens of gunmen, police said on Friday. Security forces were tipped off about suspicious activity at a ranch in Quiche, in the central highlands, by residents who said men in ski masks were asking villagers to join their ranks... Two commanders of the Zetas, the armed wing of Mexico's Gulf cartel, and 37 recruits fled the camp before the police and army arrived, leaving behind 500 grenades, six rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition... Guatemalan authorities, helped by personnel from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, also found an illegal airstrip, an obstacle course and equipment for practicing shooting at moving targets... Police believe a series of attacks on buses in Guatemala City in the past week were orchestrated by the Zetas to distract attention from the border where they had been shipping illegal arms and drugs into and out of the country." Link to Full Article

Analysis: We've seen this type off off-site training many times before, but it's normally associated with terrorist organizations like al-Qa'ida and the FARC. This is a classic example of how Mexican DTOs use the same techniques, tactics, and procedures as terrorist groups. The attacks on the buses are particularly disturbing. According to an article by Air Security International, youth gangs killed at least one passenger and one passerby, and injured seven other people, including a police officer and a bus driver. Guatemalan authorities believe that criminal organizations hired the youth gangs to extort money from drivers in exchange for safe passage. Despite the inherent terrorist nature of these training activities and attacks on civilians, DTOs continue to be regarded as mere organized crime groups. Until DTOs can be recategorized or redefinedin a way that truly captures their brutality and disregard for human life, insufficient resources will be allocated by both the Mexican and US governments to combat DTO-related violence.