Mexican authorities delivered a massive blow to drug trafficking cartels on Feb. 16 when they seized nearly 5 billion doses of meth stashed in three different locations around the northern state of Sinaloa.
In a joint operation conducted by members of the Mexican Army, Navy, National Guard and local law enforcement, authorities responded to reports of suspicious activity in the small town of Abuya, which is located about 50 miles south of Sinaloa's capital city of Culiacán.
The state's Secretariat of Public Safety announced on Feb. 16 that three properties had been used by criminal groups to produce and distribute synthetic drugs, more concretely methamphetamines. All in all, authorities were able to seize 4,700 liters of liquid methamphetamine and 269 kilos of finished meth.
Grupo interinstitucional asegura tres inmuebles donde se fabricaba droga a gran escala en el municipio de Culiacán
— Seguridad Pública Sinaloa (@sspsinaloa1) February 17, 2025
En trabajos de seguridad, elementos de la @SEDENAmx , en coordinación con la @GN_MEXICO_ , la @SEMAR_mx , la @FGRMexico , la @FiscaliaSinaloa y la Secretaría de… pic.twitter.com/1T4Qd1h1nu
According to a statement shared on its X social media account, Sinaloa's Secretariat of Public Safety said they first received reports of civilians allegedly transferring lumps from one location to another. Once the suspects noticed that they were being watched, they fled the scene leaving the drugs behind.
"With this seizure, we prevented the distribution of almost five tons of meth, which equals to 4.969 billion doses," authorities said in a statement. According to officials, the economic loss taken by criminal groups is estimated to be at around $73 million.
As pressure from President Donald Trump continues to mount against Mexican drug cartels, officials in Mexico have worked tirelessly in recent weeks to curb the flow of illicit drugs from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Earlier this month, The Latin Times reported the seizure of four tons of meth concealed in dog food packages in Baja California. According to authorities, the shipment was packed inside a trailer alongside a firearm and 64 rounds of ammunition and was allegedly destined for the U.S.
Last year, authorities seized a total of 41,310 kilos of meth and 12,705 kilos of chemical precursors used to produce other synthetic drugs such as fentanyl in the state of Sinaloa alone. So far the three locations raided by authorities have not been attributed to a particular drug trafficking organization.
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