Federal authorities intercepted 1,300 barrels of methamphetamine precursor chemicals on the high seas, including 363,000 pounds of benzyl alcohol and 334,000 pounds of N-Methylformamide, which were destined for the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. The seizure, the largest of its kind, could have enabled the production of 420,000 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $569 million. U.S. officials emphasized the operation’s focus on disrupting the supply chain of illicit drugs rather than the finished product.
Johnine Pirro, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, announced what officials called the largest ever bust of precursor chemicals being shipped to a foreign terrorist organization during a news conference in Pasadena, Texas, on Wednesday.