Part 4/17:
Unlike the stereotypical image of cartel violence concentrated at the border or in the countryside, many hijackings happen far from border hotspots, deep within interior states. The violence is typically carried out by smaller, localized groups—sometimes seemingly unaffiliated with the major cartels—operating like opportunistic criminals or local factions. Video footage and reports show perpetrators wielding pistols, dressed in hooded sweatshirts, often engaging in quick, targeted thefts rather than full-on paramilitary assaults.