Mexico seizes 16.8 tonnes of amphetamine and dismantles three Sinaloa drug labs

Mexico says it has seized 16.8 tonnes of amphetamine from clandestine drug laboratories in Sinaloa, one of the country’s main cartel strongholds.

Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said authorities found three secret laboratories in the state’s mountainous areas. One of the facilities covered 5,700 square metres.

García described the seizure as one of Mexico’s most significant strikes against synthetic-drug production since Claudia Sheinbaum became president in October 2024. Sinaloa is a principal base of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s largest drug-trafficking organisations.

The operation comes as Sheinbaum’s left-wing government faces pressure from US President Donald Trump to step up its campaign against drug cartels. Mexico has already transferred dozens of people suspected of links to cartels to the United States.