More than 300,000 kilograms of chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine were seized at the Port of Houston by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“This is the largest seizure of precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine in U.S. history,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “China was sending over 700,000 lbs on the high seas to the Sinaloa Cartel before my office seized them. Because President Trump and Secretary Rubio declared the Sinaloa Cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization, we can now strike faster and hit harder.”
Director of Field Operations Jud Murdock of Customs and Border Protection, Houston, commented on the significance: “These many barrels of precursor chemicals are directly linked to one of the most dangerous and deadly terrorist networks, the Sinaloa Cartel. It’s one of the most violent and brutal terrorist organizations in the world. They are responsible for countless deaths, devastation, and destruction of communities in the U.S. and abroad,” he said. “This represents one of the largest interdictions of its kind in history and highlights the critical role of collaboration and intel sharing in combating threats posed by drug trafficking organization and terrorist groups.”
The shipment originated from China and included six containers each of benzyl alcohol (164,880 kilos) and N-methyl formamide (151,560 kilos), both solvents that can be used in pharmaceutical manufacturing but also serve as precursors for methamphetamine production. Authorities estimate these chemicals could have been used to produce nearly 190,000 kilos of methamphetamine with a street value around $569 million if delivered.
To illustrate scale, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized about 78,925 kilos of methamphetamine along the southwest border during Fiscal Year 2024—a fraction compared to this single operation’s haul.
Twenty-four 18-wheeler trucks were required to move all seized chemicals from port facilities to secure HSI storage locations.
In 2023 alone, more than 34,800 Americans died from overdoses involving psychostimulants such as methamphetamine.
The legal authority for this seizure came from a warrant obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia after federal authorities designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on January 20, 2025—a move which expanded prosecutors’ ability to act under terrorism forfeiture provisions.
Officials involved in today’s announcement included Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz (HSI Houston), Director Jud Murdock (CBP Houston), Acting Special Agent William Kimbell (DEA Houston), and FBI Special Agent Douglas Williams (Houston Field Office).
Prosecution is being handled by D.C.’s U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Cartel Elimination effort—an initiative led by its National Security section’s Threat Finance Unit alongside its Violent Crime & Narcotics Trafficking section.
This action aligns with a directive issued February 5, 2025 by the Attorney General urging federal prosecutors nationwide to coordinate efforts with agencies like DHS toward dismantling cartels threatening U.S. sovereignty.
