Cocaine is the main drug trafficked in Mexico: Sedena

The head of the Ministry of Defense, Luis Crescencio Sandoval, pointed out that cocaine is the main drug that “moves” in Mexico. According to the report issued during the morning conference on March 31, this is mainly from central and southern America.

He also pointed out that from 2018 to 2022 73,834 kilograms of this drug, which has a value of just over 19,503.5 million pesos, were confiscated. The years in which the largest amount of cocaine was confiscated were between 2019 and 2020, with 19,931 and 27,712 kilograms respectively.

On the other hand, in the case of trafficking in precursors and chemicals for the creation of synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, amphetamines and methamphetamines as well as LSD, they were found to come mainly from the Asian continent, and are transported by sea, arriving at the Mexican ports of Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan; Mazatlan, Sinaloa and Manzanillo, Colima.

It should be noted that by mid-February 2022, Mexican authorities had already seized more than 26 tons of drugs that are manufactured or are passing through the country destined for the main cartel market in the United States.

According to figures from the federal government, 1,901 kilograms of narcotics had already been secured in the first 20 days of the year. Between then and February 20, 24,584 more kilos of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl were accumulated.

In addition, the Armed Forces indicated that 1,466 hectares of poppy had been eradicated in 2022 alone, as well as 47 hectares of marijuana.

These figures were updated on March 31, according to General Luis Crescencio, as far as the current administration is concerned, 606,343 kilograms of marijuana, 1,460 kilograms of heroin, as well as 1,154 kilos of opium gum have been intercepted by air, land and sea.

According to the authorities, 307,504 poppy plantations and 3,096 marijuana plantations have been destroyed. In total, there are 360,600 registered drug plantations, which represents 48,672 hectares, that is 7,636 times the area of the Azteca Stadium.

This would mean that the production of just over 46,768.9 million doses of narcotic drugs were avoided. It should be added that in states such as Sinaloa, Durango, Chihuahua and Guerrero both poppy and marijuana are produced.

However, the latter has had a significant reduction, according to the authorities this is due to legalization, production and consumption in 44 entities in the United States and Canada, as well as the migration of criminal organizations to the production of synthetic drugs.

In the case of this type of narcotics, the Secretary of Defense indicated that in 2009, there was an increase in clandestine laboratories for their production, mainly methamphetamines.

Currently, 124 methamphetamine laboratories and 3 heroin laboratories were detected, of which 24,901 million doses were seized. The state in which the largest number of clandestine laboratories were located was in Sinaloa, followed by Michoacán and Jalisco.

According to previous reports from US agencies, as well as the Mexican administration, they point out that the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are the most consolidated traffickers in the criminal business.

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