Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales

Cuerpo de Fuerzas Especiales de México
	File:Gafearmpatch.jpg Special Forces Corp 5th Battalion Shoulder Patch
Active	1986 – Present
Country	Mexico
Branch	Army
Type	Special Forces
Size	11 Battalions
Motto(s)	Cuerpo de Fuerzas Especiales de México, ni la muerte nos detiene, y si la muerte nos sorprende, bienvenida sea (English: Special Forces Airmobile Group, even death cannot stop us, and if death takes us by surprise, it's more than welcome.)
Engagements	Mexican Drug War
Commanders
Current; commander	Classified
Notable; commanders	Classified

The Cuerpo de Fuerzas Especiales de México, Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (Special Forces Airmobile Group, GAFE) or more commonly known as Fuerzas Especiales/Special Forces is a special forces unit of the Mexican Army's Special Forces Corps, trained by the world's special forces. There are a total of nine battalions, one High Command GAFE unit and one other group is assigned to the Paratroopers Rifle Brigade. Within the structure of the unit there are regular, intermediates and veterans. The regulars usually operate more as an elite light infantry. The intermediates are mainly instructors with medium ranks such as lieutenants and captains; they are also known as the COIFEs, and are considered by many the Mexican equivalent to the US Army Special Forces. The veterans or Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando (High Command GAFEs) carry out the most delicate black ops. The GAFE motto is "Todo por México" (Everything for Mexico).

History[]

GAFE was created in 1986 as the "Fuerza de Intervención Rápida" (Rapid Intervention Force) to provide security for the FIFA World Cup soccer games in Mexico City. France's GIGN trained the group in special weapons and counter-terrorism tactics. On 1 June 1990 the group adopted its current name.

Eight years later the GAFEs saw action fighting EZLN guerrillas in Chiapas. There is scant public information about the operations in which they participated during that conflict. During the 1990s, the GAFE reportedly received training in commando and urban warfare from Israeli special forces and American Special Forces units, which included training in rapid deployment, marksmanship, ambushes, counter-surveillance and the art of intimidation.^[1]

Nowadays the army special forces continue fighting the war against drug cartels in Mexico. They have successfully captured many big drug leaders such as Benjamin Arellano Felix and Osiel Cardenas Guillen of the Gulf Cartel.

Los Zetas[]

The GAFE has been used in both sides of the drug war. In 1999, about 34 GAFE members, led by lieutenant Arturo Guzmán Decena, were recruited by the Gulf Cartel's boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen serving as his protectors and the cartel's armed wing. They formed a group of ruthless and violent enforcers for the cartel, which became known as Los Zetas. When Osiel was arrested, Los Zetas split away from the Gulf Cartel, and have since become one of the most notorious cartels in Mexico, continuing to recruit GAFE members, and using their knowledge of special tactics to terrorize rival cartels and innocent locals alike.

Training[]

Since its creation they have received a wide variety of training from different special forces groups from around the world. The Army unified all the knowledge by creating in 1998 the Escuela Militar de Fuerzas Especiales (En. Special Forces Military School). This became the "Centro de Adiestramiento de Fuerzas Especiales" (Special Forces Training Center), located in the foothills of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano, on 1 May 2002. The basic special forces course lasts 6 months.

Special Forces Instructors' Officers Course (Curso de Oficiales Instructores de las Fuerzas Especiales – COIFE)
Ranks Officers Training of Special Forces (CACFE)
Specialized Training for Special Forces Instructors and Officers (Curso Avanzado de Instructores de Fuerzas Especiales – CAIFE)

Training scenarios[]

Jungle/Amphibious/Combat Diving: Jungle and Amphibious Operations Training Center, Xtomoc, Quintana Roo. Training also takes place in different scenarios in the state of Guerrero.
Urban/Intervention: San Miguel de los Jagueyes, La Casa de la Muerte in Puebla and Temamatla, Estado de México.
Mountain: El Salto, Durango, and Guerrero.
Desert Operations Training Center: Laguna Salada and Baja California
Airmobile/Airborne: Air Force base of Santa Lucía, Estado de México and Guerrero.
High mountain: Nevado de Toluca, Iztaccíhuatl and Pico de Orizaba volcanoes.

Transportation[]

UH-60 Black Hawk, Mil Mi-17, CH-53 Yas'ur 2000, MD 530F, Bell 212 and Bell 412 helicopters.
Fast Attack Vehicle/Light Strike Vehicle, Humvee, customized Dodge Ram pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles, Plasan Sand Cat, off-road motorcycles and inflatable/fast boats.

Weaponry[]

References[]

↑ Grayson, George W. (2012). The Executioner's Men: Los Zetas, Rogue Soldiers, Criminal Entrepreneurs, and the Shadow State They Created (1st ed.), page 46, Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9781412846172

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[1] Grayson, George W. (2012). The Executioner's Men: Los Zetas, Rogue Soldiers, Criminal Entrepreneurs, and the Shadow State They Created (1st ed.), page 46, Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9781412846172

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