Federal authorities have dealt a major blow to the Sinaloa Cartel with the largest federal seizure of drug precursor chemicals in U.S. history, officials announced Wednesday in Pasadena, Texas.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro described the operation as a coordinated, multi-agency effort to disrupt a major supply chain funneling synthetic drugs from China to Mexico.
The interdicted shipments included 363,000 pounds of benzyl alcohol, which can be converted into amphetamine-type narcotics and 334,000 pounds of N-methyl formamide, a chemical monitored for its use in illegal drug production.
Both substances are highly regulated internationally due to their potential misuse in illicit narcotics manufacturing.
Pirro emphasized the human cost of the trafficking network, noting the devastating impact synthetic drugs have on American communities.
“Everyday, tons 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 said.
“Everyday, in funeral homes across this country we see the tragic consequences of what can happen in this undeclared war.”
Authorities estimate that the confiscated chemicals could have produced up to 420,000 pounds of methamphetamine, which the cartel could have distributed nationwide.
Current Sinaloa laboratories are capable of producing roughly a ton of methamphetamine each week.
Pirro valued the potential street-level impact at $569 million in the Houston area alone, with figures expected to climb as the narcotics reached East Coast markets.
The operation brought together top federal officials, including ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz, CBP Houston Director of Field Operations Jud Murdock, DEA Houston Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell and FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams.
Their coordinated efforts reflect the federal government’s broader strategy to disrupt foreign-backed drug trafficking.
The seizures were legally authorized through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, relying on the Sinaloa Cartel’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Trump administration.
This classification allowed prosecutors to execute the seizures under the terrorism forfeiture provision, marking a notable expansion of federal tools to combat organized crime, Breitbart reports.
The two maritime interdictions occurred in international waters off Panama, involving 1,300 barrels of the dangerous chemicals.
Pirro highlighted the sheer scale of the operation, noting that 24 semi-tractor trailers would be required to transport the materials to secure storage facilities.
She described the seizure as a historic disruption to the cartel’s chemical supply route from China.
Federal officials stressed the operation’s implications for U.S. national security.
The Sinaloa Cartel continues to distribute lethal synthetic drugs domestically, while foreign actors contribute to the supply chain.
“This seizure demonstrates that federal law enforcement agencies are united in combating threats to public safety and protecting American communities,” Pirro said.
The historic interdiction underscores the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to confront international drug traffickers and employ innovative legal measures against foreign-backed criminal organizations.
Experts say the success of the operation could set a precedent for future actions targeting similar cartels and supply networks.
Separately, federal authorities revealed a large-scale fentanyl trafficking and money laundering scheme stretching from China to Ohio this week.
Known as “Operation Box Cutter,” the investigation focused on Chinese suppliers of precursor chemicals used to manufacture deadly synthetic opioids and represents one of the most ambitious U.S. enforcement efforts against these supply networks.
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