Mexico Rises to Meet Demand for Synthetic Drugs as the Number of Labs In The US Declines

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

National Guard in front of a seized drug lab. Photo: @GN_MEXICO_

As the United States suffers a synthetic drug use crisis marked by record overdoses, US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) figures show the number of drug labs in the United States is decreasing. In Mexico, government data suggests that synthetic drug production has increased to meet demand.

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Baja California Decommission 80 Tonnes of Drugs in 3 months

Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana article

[ Subject Matter: Drug Seizure, Sinaloa Cartel, Arellano Felix Organization
Recommendation: No prior subject knowledge required]

Reporter: Zeta Investigation

The 41.6 tonnes of Marijuana that was decommissioned in Tijuana this 12th of June, was denoted by Authorities as the property of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

The drugs had been transferred to the frontier in various trips in sealed vehicles, and was not detected at the few checkpoints installed on Highways between Sinaloa and Tijuana, manned by Federal Police and elements of the Army.

In fact to transport the drugs, Baja California Authorities required five trucks. The first to arrive at the house in the Granjas Familiares de Tijuana Colonia, according to witnesses, were elements of the State Preventative Police.

An investigation after one detention, apparently from a citizen complaint, led elements of the PEP tto the location of the mega haul.

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