Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando
Encyclopedia
The Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando (High Command Special Forces Airmobile Group) is a special operations
unit of the Mexican Army
. It's a group with no more than 100 members, carefully selected from the Mexican Army Special Forces Corps
and specially trained in counter-terrorist tactics. The unit's mission is to carry out the most delicate operations ordered directly by the President and the Secretary of National Defense.
Due to the secrecy that surrounds the High Command GAFE group, very little is known about the unit.
They are analogous in weapons, training, and specialization to other counter terror units like US Army Delta Force
and Russian Spetsnaz GRU
.
One of the few times its members were seen in public was hours after the successful capture of Osiel Cardenas
in 2003, one of the most wanted drug cartel leaders in Mexico
and the United States
, as they arrived in Mexico City. They are the only Special Forces group that doesn't participate or show up at the Parade of the Mexican Armed Forces on September 16.
They are rumored to have a 'White Card', which is a license to kill.
Another known mission carried out by the High Command GAFE group was the capture of drug cartel leader Javier Torres Félix aka El JT in Culiacan, Sinaloa, January 27 of 2004. The commandos left Mexico City for Culiacan at 9:00 a.m. and returned with Félix at 6:00 p.m. that same day. Commanders had scheduled the arrest for another day but the Secretary told reporters that immediate capture was necessary. One of Félix's hitmen had killed a soldier from the Third military region while the soldier was on patrol at the outskirts of the town of El Tule.
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
unit of the Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
. It's a group with no more than 100 members, carefully selected from the Mexican Army Special Forces Corps
Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
The Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales 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...
and specially trained in counter-terrorist tactics. The unit's mission is to carry out the most delicate operations ordered directly by the President and the Secretary of National Defense.
Due to the secrecy that surrounds the High Command GAFE group, very little is known about the unit.
They are analogous in weapons, training, and specialization to other counter terror units like US Army Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
and Russian Spetsnaz GRU
Spetsnaz GRU
The Spetsnaz GRU, or Russian army special forces, are the original Spetsnaz and are generally considered the best trained and experienced units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as evidenced by both their seniority among the Special Forces and their...
.
One of the few times its members were seen in public was hours after the successful capture of Osiel Cardenas
Osiel Cárdenas
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén was a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the Gulf Cartel . Originally a mechanic in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, where he was born, he entered the Gulf Cartel by helping Juan García Abrego, the capo at the time; when García was arrested in 1995, some infighting erupted within...
in 2003, one of the most wanted drug cartel leaders in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as they arrived in Mexico City. They are the only Special Forces group that doesn't participate or show up at the Parade of the Mexican Armed Forces on September 16.
They are rumored to have a 'White Card', which is a license to kill.
Another known mission carried out by the High Command GAFE group was the capture of drug cartel leader Javier Torres Félix aka El JT in Culiacan, Sinaloa, January 27 of 2004. The commandos left Mexico City for Culiacan at 9:00 a.m. and returned with Félix at 6:00 p.m. that same day. Commanders had scheduled the arrest for another day but the Secretary told reporters that immediate capture was necessary. One of Félix's hitmen had killed a soldier from the Third military region while the soldier was on patrol at the outskirts of the town of El Tule.