Nearly 200 days after being inaugurated, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has helped reduce fentanyl trafficking by 64.3%—or nearly 500 million doses of the lethal synthetic opioid—according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Between October 2024 and February 2025, the agency reported that 564 pounds of fentanyl were seized at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. In comparison, between May and September 2024, Mexican authorities under Andrés Manuel López Obrador's administration seized a total of 1,586 pounds of fentanyl, almost triple the amount.
According to Mexican outlet Milenio, the decline was most notable in December and February, when just 24 and 25 pounds of fentanyl were seized, respectively—marking the lowest monthly seizure volumes of the drug since 2021.
In terms of trafficking routes, U.S. authorities say fentanyl smuggling continues to occur primarily through California border crossings. A total of 286 pounds — 50% of the total nationwide — were seized in the El Centro and San Diego sectors alone.
Similarly, Border Patrol agents in the Tucson and Yuma sectors of Arizona confiscated a combined 269 pounds during that period, representing 48% of all fentanyl seizures. The remaining 2% was seized in sectors across New Mexico and Texas.
According to CBP data, agents have seized an average of nine kilograms of fentanyl per day during that period, equivalent to nearly 4.5 million potentially lethal doses.
The decline in fentanyl trafficking comes as local and federal officials in Mexico ramp up efforts to address U.S. President Donald Trump's concerns about the volume of drugs crossing the border into the United States.
Trump has threatened Mexico with increased tariffs and additional sanctions if it fails to crack down on drug smuggling and illegal immigration along the southern border.
In this context, the Mexican government confiscated 1,347 kilograms of fentanyl between October 2024 and March 2025—75% of the total amount seized in all of 2023.
Among the most notable operations by Mexican and American authorities was the seizure of 2,410 pounds of fentanyl in February, the largest such bust in the country's history. Authorities said the shipment had an estimated value of $400 million.
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