The Trump administration on Wednesday touted the seizure of more than 300,000 kilograms of precursor chemicals used to make methamphetamine, the largest bust of such chemicals ever made by U.S. law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro released a video showing her at the Port of Houston surrounded by 1,300 barrels of the precursors, which were shipped from China intending to reach clandestine labs in Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel.
"Because President Trump and Secretary Rubio declared the Sinaloa Cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization, we can now strike faster and hit harder," she said on X, sharing the video.
The chemicals, which originated in and were sent from China, could have been used to produce nearly 190,000 kilos of methamphetamine – worth about $569 million if they had reached their intended destination. Instead, agents seized six shipping containers of benzyl alcohol, a solvent used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, weighing 164,880 kilos and six shipping containers of N-methyl formamide, another liquid organic solvent, weighing 151,560 kilos.
To put in perspective the impact of this seizure, in Fiscal Year 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) seized a total 78,925 kilos of methamphetamine along the entire southwest border. In order to transport the chemicals from port to a secure HSI storage facility, it took twenty-four, 18-wheeler trucks to transport the sheer volume of precursor chemicals.
In 2023, more than 34,800 Americans died of overdoses from psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine.
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 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. (DOJ)
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You are looking at the largest seizure of precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine in U.S. history. China was sending over 700,000 lbs on the high seas to the Sinaloa Cartel before my office seized them.
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) September 3, 2025
Because President Trump and Secretary Rubio declared the… pic.twitter.com/kAyijtTlTM
Major win for public safety. 🚨 Over 300,000 kg of meth precursor chemicals—shipped from China to the Sinaloa Cartel—were seized by my office at the Port of Houston in the largest seizure of its kind in U.S. history. Huge thanks to our partners at @ICEgov, @HSIHouston, @CBP,… pic.twitter.com/XIZJbT7kff
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) September 3, 2025
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