The Mexican government seized nearly $40 million worth of methamphetamine, an estimated 440 pounds.
The discovery was made as authorities sought to dismantle drug labs in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, CBS News reports. Authorities also seized more than 3,100 gallons of chemical precursors used to make meth.
Since February 5, Mexican authorities have discovered 4.9 tons of meth, 453 kilos of cocaine, 55 kilos of fentanyl, and nearly 500 firearms, the report said. The seizures come as President Donald Trump has sought to pressure Mexico into taking stronger action against the flow of fentanyl and organized crime networks.
Retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supervisory special agent Brian Townsend told Fox News Digital that the Sinaloa drug cartel has been operating in the cities of Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York City.
“But they have distribution points throughout the United States, and from there, they use those hubs, and then [the distribution] spoke out from there into our communities,” he said. Townsend explained that most of the materials used by the cartel come from China.
“There are other countries and other suppliers, like India, involved. But China is by far number one,” he noted. “From the ports, they are trucked to various locations where the manufacturing of fentanyl occurs. And then from there, they’re smuggled into the United States.”
Last week, a multi-agency task force in Texas intercepted a major drug trafficking operation in Plum Grove, leading to the arrest of three previously deported illegal aliens and the seizure of nearly 350 pounds of meth.
