Federal authorities seized 24,400 liters of liquid methamphetamine in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, last week, the second-largest seizure of the drug in Mexican history. One person was arrested in connection with the bust.
The Ministry of National Defense (Defensa) announced the seizure in a statement on Monday, while Security Minister Omar García Harfuch took to social media to broadcast the confiscation.
Personal de @Defensamx1, @GN_MEXICO_ y @FGRMexico realizaron una operación en Los Mochis, Sinaloa, donde detuvieron a una persona y aseguraron 24 mil 400 litros de metanfetamina líquida, además de precursores químicos, vehículos, cargadores y municiones.
Este aseguramiento… pic.twitter.com/GHEcq6fdv4— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) June 22, 2026
Defensa said that an operation on June 19 and 20 in Los Mochis that was led by the National Guard and supported by the Mexican Army and personnel from the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) resulted in the arrest of Jorge “N,” an “alleged member of the ‘Pacific Cartel,'” which is better known as the Sinaloa Cartel. He was placed in the custody of the FGR in Los Mochis, a city about 210 kilometers northwest of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa.
Inside the Los Mochis property where the man was arrested — reportedly an agricultural warehouse — authorities seized 24,400 liters of liquid methamphetamine, as well as 98,640 liters and 59,425 kilograms of “chemical substances used for the production of synthetic drugs,” the Defense Ministry said. It also said that federal forces seized two vehicles, magazines for long guns and ammunition of various calibers.
García Harfuch wrote on X on Monday that the seizure in Los Mochis was “the largest liquid methamphetamine” seizure since the current government took office in October 2024 and the second largest on record in Mexico.
“These actions prevent the mass production of synthetic drugs, directly hit the operational and financial capacity of criminal groups, and strengthen our country’s security,” he wrote.
Defensa said that the seizure represented an economic blow to organized crime to the tune of more than 9 billion pesos (US $512.3 million).
García Harfuch said that “the instruction” — presumably from President Claudia Sheinbaum — “is clear: continue dismantling [illegal drug] laboratories, cut production chains and prevent these substances from reaching the streets.”
The security minister reported last week that authorities had dismantled 2,407 clandestine drug laboratories and seized 419.3 tonnes of narcotics since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024. He also said that authorities detained 56,134 people who allegedly committed high-impact crimes and confiscated 29,572 firearms between October 2024 and May 2026.
Homicides declined 29.8% annually in the first five months of 2026, according to data presented by the government last week.
Sheinbaum and US ambassador acknowledge Los Mochis meth seizure
At her Tuesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum described the confiscation of 24,400 liters of liquid methamphetamine in Los Mochis as a “good seizure.”
“… It’s part of the daily work of the [government’s] Security Cabinet,” she said.
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On X on Monday evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson wrote that “[t]his historic seizure of 24,000 liters of liquid methamphetamine in Sinaloa strikes a significant blow against the cartels and helps protect families on both sides of the border.”
“It is a reminder that when our countries work together, we deliver real results. Under the leadership of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and President @Claudiashein,our cooperation is making our countries safer,” he added.
Mexico News Daily
