PASADENA, Texas — United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Janine Pirro announced the most significant federal seizure of drug precursor chemicals by federal law enforcement authorities in U.S. history during a Wednesday press conference in Pasadena, Texas. The precursor chemicals, seized in two separate maritime interdictions, were headed from China to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
U.S. Attorney Pirro indicated the chemicals included 363,000 pounds of benzyl alcohol, which can be used to produce benzyl chloride, a DEA-list II chemical restricted in many countries because it can be used to produce amphetamine-type narcotics illegally. In addition to the vast quantity of benzyl alcohol seized during the operation, 334,000 pounds of N-methyl formamide, a chemical included on the DEA special surveillance list of laboratory supplies used in the manufacture of controlled substances, was also interdicted.
Speaking to the devastation caused by the supply line of chemicals used to produce the deadly illegal narcotics headed to the United States, Pirro told reporters, “Everyday, tons of chemicals that are used to create synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl are shipped from China to Mexico in China’s undeclared war against America and her citizens. Everyday, in funeral homes across this country we see the tragic consequences of what can happen in this undeclared war.”
Pirro told reporters the massive cache of precursor chemicals could be used to produce 420,000 pounds of methamphetamine by the Sinaloa Cartel. The laboratories operated by the cartel are currently capable of producing a ton of methamphetamine per week. Pirro valued the methamphetamines that may have been manufactured with the chemicals at $569 million in the Houston area, an amount she said would increase as the illegal narcotics moved into markets on the upper eastern seaboard of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Pirro was joined by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons, HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz, CBP Houston Director of Field Operations Jud Murdock, DEA Houston Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell, and FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams.
The seizure was a collaboration between the federal agencies represented at the press conference and the United States Department of Defense. The shipments, according to Pirro originated in Shanghai, China and were to be received by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, now a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the Trump administration.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia obtained the seizure warrant that provided the legal authority to seize the chemicals. Because the Trump administration designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on January 20, 2025, the designation provided federal prosecutors in the district the authority to execute the seizure under the terrorism forfeiture provision.
The two maritime seizures occurred in international waters just off the coast of Panama and consisted of 1,300 barrels of the two dangerous chemicals. Emphasizing the enormity of the seizure, Pirro told reporters it would take 24 semi-tractor trailers to move the barrels to a secure location for storage.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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