A “really crude” homemade bomb, described by an Arizona Department of Public Safety bomb squad as more like a big match than a grenade or explosive, charred the side of a 50,000-gallon diesel storage tank at the Valencia power delivery facility near Nogales, Arizona.

Tactics against utility companies

• Shooting of electrical infrastructure including control houses, transmission lines, insulators, transformers
• Use of explosive devices, pipe bombs, back pack explosives
• Elimination of key staff by sniper rifle
• Cutting of communication and power lines
• Tampering with the operation of control circuits and switch boxes
• Removal of transmission support bolts
• Sawing of transmission supports
• Use of construction equipment to destroy transmission lines
• Downing of utility poles into distribution lines
• Throwing debris or objects on electrical infrastructure
• Deliberate release of oil from transformers
• Arson
• Metal theft