34 Tons of Meth, Ingredients Seized in Western Mexico

Mexico City announced a major seizure of more than 34 tons of precursor chemicals and methamphetamine during a weekend raid in Michoacán.

The Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced the seizure, which consisted of 34 tons and approximately 12,403 gallons of precursor chemicals and methamphetamine in solid and liquid forms. The Federal Attorney General’s Office did not release a breakdown of specific substances discovered, nor the location in the state. Michoacán’s coastline provides valuable seaports for outbound product smuggling and incoming precursor loads. The chemicals were believed destined for major meth labs throughout the region.

The FGR announced that expert evidence personnel took responsibility for identifying, counting, weighing, sampling, documenting, and disabling the seized product—in addition to hazardous material cleanup tasks. The substances were transferred to a company in Mexico state that specializes in hazmat disposal under the guidance of law enforcement and military forces.

Michoacán is the center of highly disputed turf between the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Los Viagras’ regionally aligned gangs. Breitbart Texas recently reported on the grisly discovery of 19 corpses in Uruapan, to include nine badly beaten and tortured bodies that were hung from an overpass. The CJNG claimed responsibility and placed numerous narco-banners to that effect.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.) You can follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at robertrarce@gmail.com