In a significant effort to combat drug trafficking, U.S. authorities announced on Wednesday the seizure of over 300,000 kilograms of methamphetamine precursor chemicals, marking the largest haul in U.S. history.
The chemicals, benzyl alcohol and N-methyl formamide, were discovered while being transported from China to Mexico, intended for use in Sinaloa Cartel laboratories.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro highlighted the importance of this seizure during a press conference at the Port of Houston, where the chemicals were stored in 1,300 barrels.
“China was sending over 700,000 pounds [317,500 kg] on the high seas to the Sinaloa Cartel before my office seized them,” Pirro stated.
She added that the seizure was facilitated by the designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization by President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which allowed law enforcement to take more decisive action.
The U.S. attorney noted that the chemicals could have been used to produce 420,000 pounds (190,508 kg) of methamphetamine, a drug that would have generated an estimated street value of $569 million in Houston.
The seizure took place in late August, although the specific location on the high seas was not disclosed.
Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reported that multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies—including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations—cooperated closely in this massive operation.
He explained that the chemicals came from the same vendor in China, illustrating the ongoing issue of international drug trafficking.
In conjunction with this seizure, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., a Chinese company linked to the synthetic opioid crisis in America.
Following the seizure, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations team coordinated with foreign law enforcement agencies in Panama, Guatemala, and Mexico to ensure the successful disruption of the shipment before it reached illicit hands.
Lyons emphasized the use of advanced analytical and investigative techniques to identify and secure these shipments across international borders, claiming that this operation represented a pioneering effort in combating terrorism linked to drug trafficking.
“This marks the first time a seizure warrant was issued for the material support of terrorism. We were able to charge someone with material support of terrorism, and that’s the Sinaloa Cartel,” Lyons explained.
The warrant, which was granted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, underscored the legal ramifications of the cartel’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization, thus providing prosecutors the authority to take such actions under terrorism forfeiture provisions.
Pirro lamented the severe repercussions of drug trafficking, stating that “every day tonnes of chemicals that are used to create synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl are shipped from China to Mexico in China’s undeclared war against America and her citizens.”
She further remarked that the consequences of this war cut deeply into American communities, with families suffering from the opioid crisis.
“Before you leave, I want to make sure that you look at those 1,300 barrels and I want you to have a visual of dead Americans instead of where those barrels are because that’s what would have happened,” Pirro urged the reporters present.
The announcement of this record seizure coincided with a high-level meeting in Mexico City between Secretary of State Rubio and President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Both governments expressed their commitment to combating transnational organized crime and enhancing security cooperation in their ongoing efforts to dismantle these criminal networks.
During his visit, Rubio noted that the U.S. and Mexico are enhancing their efforts to tackle organized crime and the narcotics trade that affects both nations.
This announcement follows a strike by U.S. forces on a drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela, which President Trump indicated resulted in the deaths of 11 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization.
The Sinaloa Cartel remains one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations, but has faced significant challenges recently due to internecine conflicts exacerbated by the arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada earlier this year.
Zambada’s recent plea in a Brooklyn federal court confirmed his long history of trafficking large quantities of narcotics into the United States, a legacy that highlights the ongoing battle against drug cartels in the region.
image source from：mexiconewsdaily
