US Seizes Record 700,000 Pounds Meth Precursor Chemicals Linked to Sinaloa Cartel

Federal and local authorities have made significant drug interdictions targeting methamphetamine production and trafficking. In the Philippines, the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group seized 500 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride worth ₱3.4 million concealed in a parcel bound for New Zealand, demonstrating effective coordination among agencies to safeguard national gateways from contraband. In the United States, federal officials conducted the largest-ever bust of methamphetamine precursor chemicals, seizing over 700,000 pounds originating from Shanghai, China, and destined for Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro highlighted that these chemicals, if processed, could produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, with a street value exceeding $569 million, and emphasized the seizure's impact on disrupting the cartel’s supply chains. The operation, involving 1,300 barrels of benzyl alcohol and N-Methylformamide intercepted on the high seas, reflects intensified efforts under the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking and its associated violence and deaths in the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned a Chinese chemical company linked to supplying these precursor chemicals, underscoring ongoing pressure on China to address its role in the opioid and synthetic drug crisis.