Mexican authorities in the border state of Sonora stopped a white tractor-trailer headed to Arizona this week. Upon inspection, they discovered boxes filled with sliced cactus pads—a staple product of Mexico—along with a far more lucrative (albeit illegal) item hidden among the greens: 32 kilograms of fentanyl worth more than $6 million.
The 29-year-old driver was immediately identified as a suspect and arrested on the spot, approximately 400 miles south of the Mexico-U.S. border. Among the cargo he was transporting to the United States were 30 black packages containing around 275,000 fentanyl pills and two white packages of the drug in powder form, per the Associated Press.
According to the Security and Citizen Protection Ministry (SSPC), the street value of the drugs is estimated at $6.44 million. "With these actions, the institutions of the Security Cabinet reaffirm their commitment to working in a coordinated manner to build peace and prevent drugs from reaching young people," the SSPC stated in a press release.
En Sonora fuerzas federales detuvieron a un hombre que transportaba 32 kilos de fentanilo ocultos en un cargamento de nopales en un tráiler.
— Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga) March 5, 2025
Más en https://t.co/BjdELZkX5p pic.twitter.com/v3nDlUlGXZ
The seizure comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, as President Donald Trump pressures the Mexican government to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking or face a 25% tariff on most goods exported to the U.S.
However, on Thursday, Trump announced he would delay the tariffs on Mexican goods included in the USMNCA "out of respect" for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum following a seemingly collaborative call.
"After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This agreement is in effect until April 2," Trump shared via his Truth Social account.
"I did this as an accommodation and out of respect for President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard together on the border, both in terms of stopping illegal aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping fentanyl," he added.
Sheinbaum responded positively to Trump's announcement, stating that both leaders "had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results."
Muchas gracias al presidente Donald Trump. Tuvimos una excelente y respetuosa llamada en la que coincidimos en que nuestro trabajo y colaboración han dado resultados sin precedentes, en el marco de respeto a nuestras soberanías. Continuaremos trabajando juntos, particularmente en… pic.twitter.com/JzD9jkm8tz
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) March 6, 2025
During the call, Sheinbaum presented data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showing a significant improvement in fentanyl seizures since she took office. "He wasn't aware of this data until we sent it to him, and I also explained it to him," Sheinbaum said.
President Trump has stated that the tariffs are meant to be temporary, based on Mexico's efforts and results combating drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
The USMCA Agreement covers a wide range of goods and services traded between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., including agricultural products, automobiles, manufactured goods, and medical supplies.
According to Mexico News Daily, within the last month, Mexican authorities have seized more than 18 tons of illegal drugs, including 56 kilograms of fentanyl and arrested more than 1,000 suspected drug traffickers.
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