The production of fentanyl and methamphetamine requires key ingredients known as precursor chemicals. Because of their illicit uses, these substances are highly regulated around the world.
Yet synthetic drug producers in Mexico have found ways to circumvent regulations to obtain the precursor chemicals, and a sophisticated network of brokers has allowed them to find and buy pre-precursors, less regulated chemicals used at an earlier stage of the production process for methamphetamine and fentanyl. These drugs are then transported across the border by groups like the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación – CJNG).
In this three-year investigation, InSight Crime breaks down the different stages of the supply chain for these synthetic drugs. We look at the chemical companies manufacturing and selling the precursors in China and India, the transnational network of buyers sourcing the precursors, and the chemists and cooks synthesizing the drugs in Mexico. The report also assesses the effectiveness of current regulatory and law enforcement efforts on this issue and offers a series of recommendations aimed at governments, multilateral organizations, and other decision-makers.
Latest Chapter: How Fentanyl Producers in Mexico Are Adapting to a Challenging Market
Mexico’s fentanyl market is maturing. Producers are adapting to challenges and refining their methods, in line with the global trend of constant evolution in synthetic drug markets.
Precursor Chemical Deep Dives | Part 2
Investigation Chapters | Part 1
Credits:
Project Director: Steven Dudley
Project Manager: Victoria Dittmar
Investigators: Sara GarcÃa, Parker Asmann, Jaime López, Jorge Lara, Annie Pforzheimer, Paulina RÃos
Additional field reporting: Mike LaSusa, Peter Appleby, Carlos Arrieta
Additional desktop research: Luisa Acosta, Isaac Norris, Molly Schofield, Aylin Duarte, J. Yang, Daniela Valle, Liliana Caracoza, Mariana Fernández
Editing: Steven Dudley
Additional copy-editing: Chris Dalby, Helen Murphy, Lara Loaiza, MarÃa Paola MartÃnez, Henry Shuldiner, Peter Appleby
Creative direction: Elisa Roldán Restrepo
Graphics: Ana Isabel Rico, Juan José Restrepo, MarÃa Isabel Gaviria
Social Media: Camila Aristizábal, Paula Rojas
