Note: some of the numbers and conclusions debatable. 80% ??? As
in the article, many of the tons of precursors confiscated, were
addressed to a port in Guatemala. Also interesting is the
involvement of China in much of this as most of the chemicals seem to
come from there. Don't believe that China has lost control of it's
exports. Agenda at work?
Mexican army finds 15 tons of pure methamphetamine
Published February 09, 2012
| Associated Press
GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Mexican troops have made a historic seizure of
15 tons of pure methamphetamine in the western state of Jalisco, an
amount equivalent to half of all meth seizures worldwide in 2009.
The sheer scale of the bust announced late Wednesday in the western
state of Jalisco drew expressions of amazement from meth experts. The
haul could have supplied 13 million doses worth over $4 billion on
U.S. streets.
"This could potentially put a huge dent in the supply chain in the
U.S," said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Rusty
Payne. "When we're taking this much out of the supply chain, it's a
huge deal."
Reporters were shown barrels of white and yellow powder that were
found in a laboratory on a small ranch outside of Guadalajara,
Mexico's second-largest city.
The Mexican army said troops received several anonymous tips and
found the massive drug stash in the township of Tlajomulco de Zuniga,
near the Jalisco state capital of Guadalajara. The army statement
called the seizure "historic," implying it was the largest on record
for the armed forces.
There were no people found on the ranch or arrests made, although it
appeared 12 to 15 people worked there.
"Seizures of this size ... could mean one of two things," said
Antonio Mazzitelli, the regional representative of the U.N. Office of
Drugs and Crime. "On one hand, it may be a product that hasn't been
able to be sold, and like any business, when the market is depressed,
stockpiles build up."
Or, he noted, "such large-scale production could suggest an
expansion, an attempt by some Mexican groups, the most business-
oriented I would say, to move into Latin American and Asian markets.
The previous biggest bust announced by the army came in June 2010,
when soldiers found 3.1 metric tons (3.4 tons) of pure meth in three
interconnected warehouses in the central state of Queretaro, along
with hundreds of tons of precursor chemicals used to make meth. A
giant underground lab was also found in Sinaloa state.
Those other seizures were believed to be linked to the powerful
Sinaloa cartel's massive move into meth production. A senior U.S. law
enforcement official in Mexico said Thursday this week's bust in
Jalisco was "probably Sinaloa."
The official, who could not be named for security reasons, said
Sinaloa may be moving into meth "to reduce its reliance on Colombian
cocaine by flooding the market with meth."
The size of the Jalisco bust stunned Steve Preisler, an industrial
chemist who wrote the book "Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture"
and is sometimes called the father of modern meth-making.
"I have never seen quantity in that range," Preisler wrote. He also
noted: "The amounts of precursors they were importing would produce
multi-tons of product."
There has also been a dramatic increase in seizures of meth-making
chemicals imported to Mexico from countries such as China. Such
seizures indicate that Mexico may become a world production platform
for methamphetamines, and that Mexican cartels may be dominating the
trade.
In December alone, Mexican authorities seized 675 tons of a key
precursor chemical, methylamine, that can yield its weight in uncut
meth. All of the shipments were headed for Guatemala, where the
Sinaloa cartel is also active. Officials in Guatemala, meanwhile,
seized 7,847 barrels of precursors in 2011, equivalent to about 1,600
tons.
Few people use pure meth, and street cuts can be three or even five
parts filler. A pound of meth can sell for about $15,000.
After a dip in 2007, the supply of methamphetamine in the United
States has been growing, mainly due to its manufacture in Mexico,
according to U.S. drug intelligence sources.
Between 2007 and 2009, seizures of methamphetamine by U.S.
authorities along the Mexican border increased by 87 percent,
according to the 2011 U.N. World Drug Report, the most recent
statistics the U.N. has available.
Eighty percent of the meth coming into the U.S. is seized at the
Mexican border, according to the National Drug Intelligence Center.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/09/mexican-army-
finds-15-tons-pure-methamphetamine/#ixzz1lujYZRHe
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