EchoKraktv (directorcoast) :
The meth produced from the seized chemicals would have an estimated street value of at least $569 million, Pirro said.
ICE acting Director Todd Lyons said the operation’s approach is to target the supply line for illicit drug manufacturers, such as chemical precursors, rather than the finished product.
"Had these precursors made it to the destination, they would have made hundreds of thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, with profits of over half a billion dollars, which would lead to more American deaths here, not only in Houston, but all across the country," Lyons said.
MASSIVE HAUL OF METHAMPHETAMINE SEIZED IN ONE OF MINNESOTA'S 'LARGEST METH BUSTS' EVER
Precursor chemicals are tightly controlled substances that can be used to create deadly drugs or explosives.
Pirro declined to comment on the exact location where the chemicals were seized aboard the ships, though she said there were 1,300 barrels inside shipping containers.
The chemicals had been loaded onto the ships from a port in Shanghai, China, Pirro said, adding that they were en route to Mexico to be used by the Sinaloa cartel. The meth the cartel would have produced would have likely made its way into the U.S.
Pirro said that the seizure will put a dent in the drug trafficking organizations, though it may take them a while to recoup from the loss
2025-09-04 13:16:54