Mexico makes historic methamphetamine seizure

MEXICO CITY - Mexican troops have made an historic seizure of 15 tons of pure methamphetamine in the western state of Jalisco, the Mexican army said in a statement released late Wednesday.

The find was more than four times the size of a major seizure last summer of 3.4 tons and more than twice the total amount of the drug seized in Mexico in 2009, according to United Nations statistics.


No one could say late Wednesday what the largest seizure was previously in Mexico.

Soldiers discovered the huge cache in the town of Tlajomulco de Zuniga, a suburb of Mexico's second-largest city, Guadalajara.

The statement reported by The Associated Press had no other details but said it would publicly present the seizure on Thursday. Spokesmen answering the phone at the army's base in Guadalajara refused to comment further, the AP said.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said total meth seizures worldwide were 31 metric tons in 2009, the most recent figures they have available.

Cross-border methamphetamine trade booms amid Mexico's 'war on drugs'

There has been an increasing flow of methamphetamines to the United States from Mexico, the the primary source of the drug sold in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Much of the increase is attributed to Mexico's powerful Sinaloa Cartel, headed by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who the U.S. Treasury Department calls the most powerful drug trafficker in the world.

Jalisco state has long been considered the hub of Sinaloa's methamphetamine trafficking, though the army statement didn't indicate which Mexican cartel may have been involved.

The Sinaloa cartel is suspected of smuggling in mammoth amounts of precursor chemicals that are used produce meth in industrial-size operations.

It is thought to be using "front" businesses in the United States to launder its funds, Jennifer Shasky, of the Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section told Congress on Wednesday, according to Mexican newspaper Excelsior. (Link in Spanish)

The Sinaloa cartel also appears to be extending its massive production of methamphetamine into neighboring Guatemala, where remote, isolated mountains and an alliance with a key Guatemalan trafficker are making the Central American nation a new international meth production base.

Mexican authorities seized 675 tons of a key precursor chemical in December alone, and all of it was heading for Guatemala.

Msnbc.com staff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

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And now, all of the Mexican troops are high.

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 4:34 AM EST

What we know is someone forgot to pay-off the Mexican military....

  • 4 votes
#1.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:08 AM EST

Rest assured that a significant amount of this will STILL reach the USA. That's too much money for the Mexicans to simply get rid of.

  • 3 votes
#1.2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:19 AM EST

A rival cartel snitched on the cartel that ran that towns trade... "psst, they keep their stuff at..."

Trying to take over that towns business. It's how the drug wars go down.

  • 1 vote
#1.3 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 1:50 PM EST
Reply

Dear Mexico, could I borrow just one half a ton of that? It’s for research purposes. thanks.

  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 4:38 AM EST

Ehhhh meth is for losers. If it was a few tons of weed I'd be all for it.

  • 4 votes
#2.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:18 AM EST

Meth is one of the few drugs I will never try because it's so addictive. The others are crack, heroin and cigarettes.

  • 1 vote
#2.2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 9:40 AM EST

CapNChronic, I hope you mean if it was high grade pot you'd be interested. Most of the Mexican weed grown in Mexico is low grade and smashed into hard, dry, seed infused crap - in other words, not worth smoking.

  • 1 vote
#2.3 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:47 AM EST
Reply

Dear mexico, I wish your army was as good at finding illegal aliens crossing the border illegaly as they are at finding drugs. How about letting the drugs come thru because we like them here in the US, and finding and arresting the illegal aliens before they sneak across the border and have their illegal anchor kids which we want to send back to mexico anyway. Please mexico, keep your trash in your own yard. Thank you...

  • 7 votes
Reply#3 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 4:46 AM EST

Dear Mexico, how much would you charge us to police the Mexican/American border for illegal immigrants? Signed, the tax-payers of the United States.

  • 8 votes
#3.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:53 AM EST

Kevin Q , yes mexico is willing to take back it's anchor babies only after the U.S does the same in sending back the original anchor babies back to europe, oops too late they are all dead now and their decendants like maybe you are demanding tougher immigration laws , cause you can't tell me that all 100 pct of your great grandparents came tru elis island the right way the east coast is more than 3 thousand miles long !

  • 1 vote
#3.2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:22 PM EST

WELL SAID RALPH! How quickly these ignorant posters such as Kevin conveniently forget such things...

  • 1 vote
#3.3 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 11:08 PM EST

Please mexico, keep your trash in your own yard. Thank you

Please U.S., keep your guns in your own yard. Thank you

  • 1 vote
#3.4 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:25 PM EST

See Ralph and Amik, the key word here is ILLEGALS, ILLEGALS. Go through the proper channels legally to obtain your citizenship, THEN, if you QUALIFY, wait your turn. Now if only we had a goverment that would enforce this law. Did it ever occur to anyone the reason that their are so many ILLEGALS in our country is because they KNOW they could never become a natural citizen due to felonies committed in their own countries. There are between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States. That tells me several things, 1. Our goverment isn't serious about upholding the law. Arizona and Alabama tried to do something about it, and Obama sues them, then warns Indiana, Utah, Georgia, South Carolina. Do you really have to wonder who the priority is in this country when The President is sueing states? Let's just say in my opinion, it's not the Legal American Citizens he's supposed to be representing.

  • 2 votes
#3.5 - Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:53 PM EST
Reply

"Mexican troops have made an historic ..."

AN historic? AN ? Are we in Britain with a Cockney accent? NO!

The "H" in "historic" is NOT silent! AN horse? AN hose? AN house?

My all-time favorite;

AN horrific...

The nuns taught me too well !

GRRrrr....

  • 3 votes
Reply#4 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:24 AM EST

You were obviously sleeping through your English class. Historic does require an 'an' before it. You really should double check these things before posting.

  • 6 votes
#4.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:30 AM EST

Why does "historic" require an "an". The "h" is not silent. Does "horse" require an "an"?. Does "house"? Does "hose"?

Apparently YOU weren't paying attention, Sparkie.

  • 1 vote
#4.2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:36 AM EST

A silent letter has nothing to do with it! The "e" in the word "eel" is NOT silent, but you would not refer to one as "a eel." The phrase "an historic" is quite correct, and the nuns were mistaken. Listen to Jennifer and do a Google search before trying (and failing) to prove your grammatical prowess.

  • 2 votes
#4.3 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 7:30 AM EST

.

  • 1 vote
#4.4 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 7:36 AM EST

An Horse is a pretty good rock band!

    #4.5 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 9:42 AM EST

    It requires "an" and this is one of the few times I have seen it used correctly.

      #4.6 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 10:58 AM EST

      Seth MacFarlane Twitters

      If you say “an historic”, you’re probably an h@!$%#.

      • 1 vote
      #4.7 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 1:54 PM EST

      You say an eel because you are pronouncing the vowel, as you would if the "h" were silent in "historic", but it isn't, therefore it's to be said "a historic".

      http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/

      Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word. So...

      • a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
      • an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
      • a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle
      • an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour
      • a + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse
        • In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," you can use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred.
          A historical event is worth recording.
      • 2 votes
      #4.8 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 1:57 PM EST

      I agree with Prohibition..., the eel example was just about the most self-defeating thing you could have thought up: Two reasons to use "an" one right after another. But there are still 0 reasons for "an" with historic.

      And this is a ridiculous thing to argue about - I think the OP was making light of some annoying exception to the rule from Britain that we don't have to follow if we don't want to - and then everyone else said "but it's a rule that this is an exception to the rule! look it up! stupid!" Wow, I hate people.

      • 1 vote
      #4.9 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 3:16 PM EST

      The Sinaloa cartel is suspected of smuggling in mammoth amounts of precursor chemicals that are used produce meth in industrial-size operations.

      How about this sentence for grammer specialist only.

        #4.10 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 4:16 PM EST

        Uh...it's "grammar", Sparkie. Grammar with two "a"s.

          #4.11 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:23 PM EST

          I say good for you! I knew some one that was really intelligent would catch that. LOL

            #4.12 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:35 PM EST
            Reply

            I give mexico KUDOS! GREAT JOB! BRAVO! HIGH 5s! They brave very dangerous criminals and ought to be highly commended!

            • 4 votes
            Reply#5 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:48 AM EST

            It'll be the "French Connection" all over again.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#6 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:49 AM EST

            A historic drop in the bucket.

            • 5 votes
            Reply#7 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 5:53 AM EST

            Seems the nuns taught you to raise your blood pressure over minutia, might want to start unlearning that lesson. As for the "anchor babies" comment, we could change the law in the USA so having babies across the border didn't automatically make them citizens; that way we could clean our own mess.

            • 3 votes
            Reply#8 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:00 AM EST

            My B.P. is 120/72. How's yours, Tonenine?

              #8.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:39 AM EST
              Reply

              I give it a week before it's back en-route to the US

              • 4 votes
              Reply#9 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:06 AM EST

              oldwolf,,,,but the oBAMA administration had promised us the border is now more safe and secure then EVER before! And there was no pork in that stimulas!!!

              • 4 votes
              #9.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:52 AM EST
              Reply

              Meth is currently one of the most dangerous drugs being abused in the United States. Those physically effected requiring Hospitalization are requiring more and more care for much longer periods. Psychiatric care often has less effect until someone has been off the chemical for over a year making Treatment more and more difficult. Most never get treatment. Meth would be the downfall of a govenment if not stopped.

              • 3 votes
              Reply#10 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:46 AM EST

              Maybe if people weren't stupid enough to try it in the first place. Of all the drugs out there meth has to be one of the stupidest, most addictive and most dangerous. The only stupider thing people can do is huffing.

              • 2 votes
              #10.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:16 AM EST

              Methamphetamine has been mainstream in the US since the 1950's, it was prescribed as a diet pill to millions in the 60's and was the the primary drug used for hypertensive school kids(it's now called adhd).

              It was called Desoxyn and it was part of american life.

              Speed is the perfect drug for Americans....they demand it..... 5hr energy,coffee by the bucket, sugar, go, go, go....

              If you fought in Vietnam, or Bosnia, or the Persian Gulf you were probably given meth to fight fatigue.

              It is not addictive like Heroin, Morphine or other narcotic pain relievers, but it can be psychologically addicting like any pleasure giving substance that we Americans all love.....wine, beer, whiskey, Valium, Prozac, Viagra, weed,etc.

              The real harm is caused when we let criminals make it instead of Phizer or Lilly.....lol!Well you know what I mean!

              They used to make bootleg gin with wood alcohol in the 30's...that got rid of a few alcoholics.

              • 1 vote
              #10.2 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:34 AM EST
              Reply

              All because we have to show I.D. and sign for cold pills.

              • 3 votes
              Reply#11 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 7:07 AM EST

              My name is Antonio Montana......I am a political prisoner from Kooba....

              • 1 vote
              Reply#12 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 7:10 AM EST

              Save the World! BOMB MEXICO!

              • 2 votes
              Reply#13 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:06 AM EST

              I have a sister-in-law who has been on and off Meth for the past eight years. When she off Denise can be the most pleasant person in the room. But when she's been needling look out. She's like a bull in a china shop. There is no way trying to deal with her. Hours.........let's make that DAYS of being up with no sleep, fits of anger against her mother, my wife, crying for hours over her son who committed suicide three years ago, and bouts after bouts of depression. This stuff puts the Iran conflict in second place. Want an Extreme Makeover for Halloween? Just get on Meth and in just 90 days you'll have it. You won't here about this drug being the drug of choice among blacks or among whites. Hell, it's the drug of choice throughout every race on this planet. Meth is cheap to get, cheap to make. Our sheriff department stumbled(great wording)upon the tools to make the stuff underneath a county bridge one afternoon. You can laugh and joke all you want but when you meet one of those Meth freaks freaking out over a BUG walking on a sidewalk you'll see Meth's dark and sometimes deadly side. Seven years ago one of our supervisor was let go because she was caught tweaking in her office. Poor girl probably weighed only 85 lbs at the time. She had a great future ahead of her with the county. But gave it all up for Meth. How did she get caught? She stole one of the county's TV sets and pawned it so she could get a fix. She was making top dollar in her supervisory roll. But not enough to supply her habit. We MUST stop this dangerous drug before it gets the upper hand in our society before it's too late, too late to do anything about it!!!

              • 6 votes
              Reply#14 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:27 AM EST

              Of all the drugs out there meth has to be one of the stupidest, most addictive and most dangerous. The only stupider thing people can do is huffing. I'm usually not for the prohibition of drugs, but meth, crack and heroin are exceptions. Those 3 are simply way too addictive and destructive to the individual and society to be managed. Even in the drug community tweakers, crackheads and heroin junkies are generally looked down on.

              • 3 votes
              #14.1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:52 AM EST

              I agree with everything you say about what it does to you. It's not good. But if they made it legal it would be cheap and no one what have to steal to get money to buy it. True it would mess up alot of people, but that's their choice. People drink, smoke and eat fatty foods but that's OK? I don't know the answer but I'am tiried of looseing my rights in this stupid drug war. If people want to kill themself's that their own bussiness.

              • 2 votes
              #14.2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 9:06 AM EST
              Reply

              Did they catch Heisenberg?

                Reply#15 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:29 AM EST

                How do we know what they're going to show us is really meth or just some powder to make them look good. They do it here in the US all the time. Big drug problem, we need more tax dollars.

                  Reply#16 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:52 AM EST

                  More of the phoney "War On Drugs"-we need to be reminded that is going on, and on with no results, so they write some foolish article to keep us in the Game. Same thing with phoney "War On Terror". Towers and bldg 7 were brought down by demolition on 9/11, bldg 7 was not even hit by a plane and came down like a charm. I would love ,if some of our "investigative journalists" asked Trump how can a building fall neatly that was hit by a plane and one not even hit come down beautifully like in a fairy tale on 9/11 -and watch his face. 9/11 was done by Bush and Cheney to keep us in endless wars and please our pimp in Middle East. We are bankrupt now and charges of war crimes and treason should be brought up by our Judiciary, unfortunately they are in the pocket of the very people that profit from wars-the 1%.

                    Reply#17 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 9:11 AM EST

                    Tweekers suck

                    • 2 votes
                    Reply#18 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 9:17 AM EST

                    Please don't go to the war. Let them solve the problem. We should focuse ourselves on restoring our economy. If republicans want to go to the war, that would be a great disaster, consuming out tax dollars and make our country weaker.

                      Reply#19 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 9:25 AM EST

                      Thank you Mexico for your continued support on fighting meth distribution, manufacturing and punishment of those who would destroy our countries.

                      • 2 votes
                      Reply#20 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 11:41 AM EST

                      Damn, that is too many tweakers that are gonna have to gum somebody to death for a fix. Looks like the war on drugs is really working....LOL

                        Reply#21 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 4:20 PM EST

                        Pics or it didn't happen.

                          Reply#22 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:17 PM EST

                          Pics or it didn't happen.

                            Reply#23 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 8:18 PM EST

                            where does Mexico get the precursor chemicals from? Why are there not trade sanctions against those countries. It will get interesting if the meth supply shrinks. Tweekers will be trying all kinds of crap.

                            • 1 vote
                            Reply#24 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 11:29 PM EST

                            The beat goes on, yeah the beat goes on.

                              Reply#25 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:07 AM EST
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