US Seizes 3 Tons of Meth Precursor Chemicals Bound for Mexico

InSight Crime: "US officials seized close to three tons of methamphetamine precursor chemicals reportedly heading for Mexico, potentially a rare instance of Mexican cartels using the US as a transhipment point.

The two shipments in question originated from China and were of methylamine chloride, a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine. They were seized on April 19 and 23 at Los Angeles International airport (LAX), both bound for central Mexico, and amounted to 2.85 tons. The amount seized could have been used to produce about $40 million worth of methamphetamine, reports the LA Times. read more

Drug War: Mexico meth seizure felt in San Antonio

KSAT- San Antonio: "Police said a major drug seizure in Mexico will have an impact locally on the streets of San Antonio.

A total of 15 tons of crystal methamphetamine was seized by the Mexican military a few weeks ago near Guadalajara, and DEA officials said there is a good chance some of it could have ended up in Texas. DEA agent Mauricio Fernandez said about 80 percent of the meth in San Antonio comes from Mexico. He said it's readily available and extremely pure."

Lt. Darrell Sanders with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said major meth crackdowns state-side has pushed operations south of the border, so a major bust there has a direct impact here." read more

Drug Trade: Meth in Mexico--A Turning Point in the Drug War?

Mexican authorities announced Feb. 8 the largest seizure of methamphetamine in Mexican history -- and possibly the largest ever anywhere. Stratfor Global Intelligence provides a detailed analysis of the significance of the growth of meth manufacturing in Mexico.  Here is their conclusion:


Stratfor: "Historically, organized criminal groups have relied on control of a market for their source of wealth and power. But the current situation in Mexico, and the cocaine trade in general, prevents the Mexican groups (or anyone) from controlling the market outright. As long as geography and market forces keep the traffickers split, all sides in Mexico will try to use violence to get more control over territory and market access. We assume that Mexico's geography will not change dramatically any time soon, but market forces are much more temporal.

Mexican criminal organizations can overcome their weakness in the cocaine market by investing the money they have earned (billions of dollars, according to the most conservative estimates) into the control of other markets. Ultimately, cocaine is impossible for the Mexicans to control because the coca plant can only grow in sufficient quantity in the foothills of the Andes. It would be prohibitively expensive for the Mexicans to take over control of coca cultivation and cocaine production there. Mexican criminal organizations are increasing their presence in the heroin market, but while they can grow poppies in Mexico and produce black-tar heroin, Afghanistan still controls a dominant share of the white heroin market -- around 90 percent.

What Mexicans can control is the methamphetamine market. ... For the Mexican TCOs, industrializing and controlling the methamphetamine market offers a level of real control over a market that is not possible with cocaine. We expect fighting over the methamphetamine market to maintain violence at its current levels, but once a group comes out on top it will have far more resources to expel or absorb rival TCOs. This process may not sound ideal, but methamphetamine could pick the winner in the Mexican drug war." read more