A State Department division accused China of sending tens of thousands of kilos of methamphetamine precursors to the Sinaloa Cartel following their seizure by DHS authorities in Long Beach, California.
"China must be held accountable until it stops exporting devastating chemicals to drug traffickers and terrorists," the State Department's International Law Enforcement division said in a publication on X.
Authorities claimed that the shipment "was identified as a result of an initiative launched by ICE in 2019" allowing it to detect shipments of chemicals precursors from countries such as China and India.
"In addition to preventing the chemicals from reaching the cartels, the initiative has also helped expose the location of clandestine drug labs in Mexico. In conjunction with Mexican authorities, 13 drug labs operated by the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel have been located and eliminated since January 2025 as a result of the initiative," ICE added in a press release detailing the operation.
One such episode took place in early May, when Mexican authorities seized and neutralized a clandestine laboratory allegedly used by Sinaloa Cartel faction Los Chapitos to produce synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine.
The operation took place in La Palma, a small community of about 300 residents located in a mountainous area near the Sinaloa-Chihuahua state border.
According to a statement from the Mexican Navy, authorities seized approximately 250 kilograms of methamphetamine in the drying process, along with 650 liters of liquid chemical precursors and 2,425 kilograms of solid precursors.
In addition to the drugs, FGR and Navy personnel confiscated tools used by criminal groups, including liquefied petroleum gas tanks, chemical drums, and plastic tubs.
The lab, along with the chemicals and equipment, was destroyed on-site. The Navy emphasized that destroying clandestine labs is part of ongoing efforts to combat the production and distribution of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl.
In April alone, state and federal officials neutralized 20 "narco labs" allegedly used by drug cartels to produce synthetic drugs. The majority of the labs were found in the municipalities of Culiacán, Cosalá, and Navolato, according to the Sinaloa Secretariat of Public Safety.
One operation led to the seizure of approximately 600 liters of chemical precursors, as well as several industrial blenders used to mix powders, chemicals, and liquids.
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