A video produced by the CJNG (Jalisco New Generation) Mexican Cartel flaunts a massive fleet of armored fighting vehicles, small arms weaponry, and a standardized personnel uniform and kit.

While the actual effectiveness of these insurgents as a paramilitary group is debated, the image that they are presenting certainly points to a well-polished industry of armor development and weapon procurement backing them.

Recent months have shown a fundamental shift in operating procedures in the various cartels across the nation. They've evolved from blue jeans and cowboy boots to full-on military kit as they vie for legitimacy as a power holder in Mexico's uncertain future.