MEXICO CITY — In a significant operation, Mexican military personnel have confiscated more than a ton of fentanyl pills across two separate raids in the northern region of the country. This event is being hailed as the largest seizure of synthetic opioids ever recorded in Mexico.
These notable raids occurred in the wake of a considerable decline in fentanyl seizures within Mexico earlier this year. The situation escalated shortly after President-elect Donald Trump threatened to implement a 25% tariff on exports from Canada and Mexico, urging these nations to intensify their efforts against the trafficking of drugs and migrants across the border.
According to Mexico’s leading security official, late on Tuesday, soldiers and marines identified two armed individuals in the northern state of Sinaloa, the territory known for its infamous drug cartel. The military pursued these individuals, who fled into two separate residences. Upon searching one home, soldiers discovered approximately 660 pounds (300 kilograms) of fentanyl. Meanwhile, in the second location, they uncovered a truck filled with an additional 1,750 pounds (800 kilograms) of the drug, primarily in pill form.
Public Safety Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch shared the news of this monumental seize on social media, touting it as the largest fentanyl capture in the country’s history. Authorities also confiscated several firearms during the raids, resulting in the arrest of two suspects.
Historically, Mexican security forces have occasionally relied on narratives involving armed suspects as justification for entering homes without proper search warrants. In some instances, surveillance footage has contradicted official accounts of these events.
The recent discovery is particularly notable given the drastic decrease in fentanyl seizures reported earlier this year. Throughout the summer months under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, federal forces documented seizures dwindling to as little as 50 grams (2 ounces) weekly.
Data from the first half of 2024 reflects that Mexican federal agencies captured merely 286 pounds (130 kilograms) of fentanyl nationwide between January and June, signaling a staggering 94% drop from the 5,135 pounds (2,329 kilograms) confiscated in 2023.
Fentanyl has been identified as a major contributor to approximately 70,000 overdose fatalities each year in the United States. U.S. authorities have been striving to enhance their measures to intercept the drug as it crosses the border, especially in forms mimicking counterfeit pills manufactured in Mexico with precursor chemicals largely sourced from China.
Former President López Obrador consistently refuted claims that fentanyl is manufactured in Mexico. However, experts, along with some members of his government, have confirmed the drug’s production within the country.