Three detained in 35-tonne precursor seizure in Sinaloa
Original reporting: Revista Espejo
What happened
Revista Espejo reported that federal forces detained three people after finding about 35 metric tonnes of a chemical identified by authorities as a methamphetamine precursor in a truck on the Mazatlán–Culiacán highway.
Reporting and context
Federal forces detained three people and seized about 35 metric tonnes of a chemical described by authorities as a methamphetamine precursor from a refrigerated tractor-trailer on the Mazatlán–Culiacán highway, according to Revista Espejo.
The outlet cited a joint federal Security Cabinet statement dated November 10. The stop took place at kilometer 33+450 of toll-free Federal Highway 15 as part of Operation Mazatlán.
Security personnel stopped the truck as it traveled toward Mazatlán. During the inspection, they found sacks of a granulated chemical on 18 pallets. Authorities identified the substance as a precursor used to make synthetic drugs; the report did not name the chemical.
Revista Espejo reported that 16 pallets each held two metric tonnes and the remaining two each held 1.5 tonnes. Those figures account for the approximate 35-tonne total reported for this single seizure.
The three people traveling in the vehicle were handed over to federal prosecutors along with the truck and the seized substance. Prosecutors will determine their legal status and continue the investigation, the statement said.
Personnel from the Security and Citizen Protection Secretariat, the Defense and Navy secretariats, the federal Attorney General’s Office and the National Guard participated in the operation.
Source: Revista Espejo.