In a dramatic escalation of the federal government’s war on transnational drug cartels, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the seizure of a record-breaking shipment of illicit drug precursor chemicals en route from China to drug cartels in Mexico — before they could be weaponized and unleashed on American streets.
“This historic record seizure of precursors… weren’t drugs yet, but were going to be turned into pretty much weapons of mass destruction,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview. “We intercepted them on the high seas… stopped coming from China before they got to Mexico.”
The operation, conducted in international waters, was coordinated through Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and marks a strategic shift in ICE’s posture under President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Lyons described a “whole-of-government” approach that includes the DEA, FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and even the Department of Defense.
“All of our partners… were key,” Lyons said. “President Trump has identified these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. (DHS Secretary Kristi Noem) is taking the handcuffs off us.”
The announcement of the high-seas seizure of the illicit drug precursor chemicals came one day after President Donald Trump announced the precision-targeted U.S. military strike against a panga boat carrying 11 Tren de Aragua terrorists and a load of drugs bound for U.S. cities.
During a press conference in Houston on Thursday, Lyons joined U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro in announcing the seizure, Breitbart Texas reported.
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..
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.
The designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations opens the door to expanded intelligence sharing, military coordination, and international pressure. Lyons emphasized that the new strategy is not just about arrests—it’s about dismantling the infrastructure that enables mass drug production and distribution.
The fentanyl crisis has reached catastrophic levels in recent years, with synthetic opioids responsible for over 70,000 deaths annually. ICE’s maritime interdiction of precursor chemicals represents a proactive strike against the epidemic’s root causes.
The operation is part of a broader resurgence in ICE’s mission under the Trump administration, which has prioritized border security, criminal alien removal, and transnational crime disruption. Lyons made clear that the agency is no longer constrained by political optics or bureaucratic hesitation.
“I think it’s what the American people voted for, right?” Lyons expressed. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement just isn’t out arresting people that are here illegally. We are actually making a significant public safety impact.”
“In the work that Homeland Security Investigations Houston did in this case, and now moving into the Homeland Security Task Forces, you’re going to see more public safety threats taken out of the community,” Director Lyons concluded.
In July, ICE created a Homeland Security Task Force in Houston, Breitbart reported. ICE and the FBI teamed up to create the Homeland Security Task Force in Houston to combat the “emerging threats from transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Texas.” The announcement followed the arrest in June of nearly 1,400 criminal aliens in the Houston area.
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.
Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part exclusive interview with Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. Part two will focus on the impact of interference of sanctuary cities on immigration enforcement and public safety. Part Three will focus on the rapid expansion of ICE and recruitment of new officers and agents.
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