- On May 30, ICE and CBP seized 55 tons of di-cumyl peroxide, a methamphetamine precursor, shipped from China and believed to be destined for Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.
- The bust is part of a broader ICE-led initiative launched in 2019, which has so far intercepted over 1.7 million kilograms of chemical substances linked to meth and fentanyl production.
- Following a Jan. 20 executive order by President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the Sinaloa Cartel and seven other groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Global Terrorists.
- Due to heightened southern border security, traffickers are increasingly rerouting shipments through U.S. ports like Long Beach to avoid detection.
- Just a day before the Long Beach bust, agents seized 28,500 pounds of cocaine worth over $211 million at the Port of Everglades, underscoring the scale and adaptability of international drug trafficking operations.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have seized 55 tons of methamphetamine precursor chemicals at the Port of Long Beach in California.
According to an ICE statement released on June 2, they seized 55 tons of di-cumyl peroxide – a chemical compound used in the synthesis of methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics at the Port of Long Beach on May 30. The massive shipment, which originated in China, was en route to Mexico and believed to be intended for the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally designated eight criminal syndicates, including the Sinaloa cartel, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, shortly after President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20. (Related: Trump administration declares war on Mexican drug cartels, designates them as foreign terrorists.)
In line with this, officials stated drug traffickers are increasingly re-routing shipments to avoid heightened enforcement at the southern U.S. border.
«With security levels at the southern border at an all-time high, drug trafficking organizations are seeking other entry points to smuggle their deadly narcotics into the United States,» said ICE-Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. «Despite their best efforts, they are quickly finding out that it doesn’t matter which domain they attempt to exploit; we will be there waiting to shut it down and hold them accountable.»
ICE and CBP have interdicted over 1,700 tons of meth and fentanyl ingredients since 2019
The bust is the latest success of a targeted enforcement strategy launched in 2019. The effort uses advanced analytics, international tracking and inter-agency intelligence to identify and intercept shipments of precursor chemicals from countries like China and India before they reach cartel-controlled drug labs in Mexico.
Since its inception, the initiative has led to the interdiction of more than 1,7oo tons of chemical substances linked to the production of methamphetamine and fentanyl. It also helped expose and dismantle 13 clandestine drug labs in Mexico operated by factions of the Sinaloa cartel in just the first half of 2025.
Just one day before the Long Beach seizure, federal agents in Florida seized 28,500 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $211.3 million at the Port of Everglades near Miami. The U.S. Coast Guard said the cocaine, transported on multiple vessels, was headed for distribution across the United States.
«For far too long, the Mexican drug cartels have raked in billions of dollars at the expense of our local communities leaving nothing but addiction, death and despair in their wake,» Plantz said. «This initiative provides HSI with a game-changing method to stay one step ahead of the cartels by disrupting the flow of chemicals that they depend on to produce illicit narcotics.»
Follow DrugCartels.news for more news about the Mexican drug cartels.
Watch this Feb. 20 episode of «Brighteon Broadcast News» as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about the U.S. military planning to wage war on drug cartels.
This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.
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