Omar Garcia, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico, announced a significant operation resulting in the confiscation of over a ton of fentanyl pills linked to Sinaloa cartel affiliates. Garcia described it as the "largest historical seizure" in a December 3 post on X.
"In two separate actions led by @SEMAR_mx , members of the Security Cabinet @SEDENAmx , @FGRMexico , @GN_MEXICO_ and @SSPCMexico in Sinaloa, the largest historical seizure of fentanyl was achieved," said Omar H. Garcia, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico, Mexico City Former Chief of Police. "More than a ton of fentanyl pills, two men were arrested and firearms were seized. These actions will continue until the violence in the state of Sinaloa decreases."
According to CBS News, Mexican security forces seized 2,410 pounds of fentanyl pills following two raids in Sinaloa, located in northern Mexico near the U.S. border. During these operations, two men were arrested and firearms were confiscated at the residences where the pills were discovered. The report noted that Mexican security forces have previously justified entering homes without warrants by claiming they were pursuing armed suspects. Fentanyl seizures in Mexico have decreased recently, with only 286 pounds seized in the first half of 2024—a stark decline from the 5,135 pounds seized in 2023. The synthetic opioid is responsible for approximately 70,000 overdose deaths annually in the United States.
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The U.S. fentanyl crisis is largely attributed to the activities of the Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels, as reported by 60 Minutes. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that the U.S. is "losing a generation" due to this opioid crisis. The crisis began a decade ago when cartels gained control over the supply chain by obtaining precursor chemicals from China to manufacture fentanyl in laboratories.
Sherri Hobson, an assistant U.S. attorney in San Diego who has prosecuted cartel members for three decades, told CBS that "cartels are very business-oriented," focusing on profit and power while becoming institutionalized.
In 2019, China blocked the export of finished fentanyl to the United States, which reinforced cartel dominance in the drug industry according to 60 Minutes. Originally developed as a pain medication, fentanyl has permeated all U.S. communities due to its low production cost, ease of smuggling, and potent addictive properties—being 50 times stronger than heroin.
President-elect Trump has vowed to "take down the cartels," attributing blame for the fentanyl crisis to what he describes as a "wide-open border," according to donaldjtrump.com. Trump asserted that cartels are "waging war on America."
Garcia is also noted as being a former Chief of Police in Mexico City and currently serves under Mexico's new President Claudia Sheinbaum as Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection according to the North American Congress on Latin America.
