Mexican troops seized more than a ton of fentanyl pills in two raids on Tuesday, one of the largest seizures of synthetic opioids in the country's history, officials said.
The raids come days after fentanyl seizures in Mexico plummeted this year and President-elect Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products. President Trump said the tax was a response to inadequate efforts to prevent illegal immigration and drugs from entering the United States from neighboring countries.
Mexican authorities said soldiers and marines had found two men carrying guns on Tuesday in the drug cartel's stronghold of Sinaloa state.
Mexican military and police patrol Culiacan, Sinaloa. (AP Photo/Martin Urista)
During the pursuit, the men encountered two homes. Approximately 660 pounds of fentanyl was found at one home, and 1,750 pounds of fentanyl was found in a truck at the other home. Several guns were also seized and two men were arrested.
“We have achieved the largest seizure of fentanyl in history in Sinaloa,” Public Security Secretary Omar García Harfucci wrote on social media.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday: “This is an investigation that has been going on for some time and yesterday it came to fruition.”
The pretext for the drug seizure – accidentally noticing two men carrying weapons – has been used by Mexican authorities before to enter a home without a warrant.
Fentanyl seizures in Mexico dropped significantly earlier this year, and last summer authorities seized just a few ounces of fentanyl.
Texas Democrat says Trump tariffs will bring Mexico to the negotiating table
President Claudia Sheinbaum and President-elect Trump (Getty Images)
Mexican drug cartels make fentanyl using precursors sourced from China and smuggle it into the United States, causing about 70,000 overdose deaths a year, experts say.
President Trump called on Mexico to get tougher on drug smuggling. He also threatened to impose a 10% tariff on China over the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
News of the seizure came as the U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes' reward would be increased from $10 million to $15 million. Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” is the co-founder of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), a violent drug cartel responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States, and currently is the leader of
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump on Friday in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to discuss topics including the economy, illegal immigration and proposed 25% tariffs. (Justin Trudeau X)
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In response to the threat of widespread tariffs, Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both met with President Trump. Sheinbaum and Trump spoke on the phone during a “productive” conversation. Trudea said the tariffs would destroy his country's economy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
