Fentanyl Is Overwhelming Mexico's Border Cities [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Seizures and use of the deadly synthetic opioid are up by six times what was reported only two years ago.

By Luis Chaparro
December 1, 2022, 12:02pm

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico—Fentanyl seizures and use in Mexico are up by six times what was reported only two years ago, according to new government data. In particular, Mexico’s border cities have seen a spike in the presence of fentanyl as drug cartels continue to ship massive quantities of the synthetic opioid to the U.S.

Border cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, Ciudad Juarez and Nogales saw a 635 percent rise in fentanyl seizures during 2021, compared with the previous year, according to figures from the Mexico’s Defense Ministry.

In 2019, the authorities recovered 136 kilos of fentanyl, and in 2020 that rose to 418. During 2022, the amount of fentanyl seized skyrocketed to 864 kilos.

Most of the seizures were reported in three states: Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora. Sinaloa isn’t a border state, but the base of the Sinaloa Cartel and where most of the drug is manufactured, according to news reports.

More:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zmpw/fentanyl-seizures-spike-mexico-border