55 Tons Of Meth Ingredient From China Bound For Mexican Drug Cartel Seized In California

By Noi Mahoney of FreightWaves

Authorities at the Port of Long Beach on Friday seized 55 tons of dicumyl peroxide, a chemical used to make methamphetamine.

The shipment originated in China and was destined for the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico, according to a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The dicumyl peroxide was identified as a result of an initiative launched by ICE in 2019 to identify suspicious shipments of chemical precursors from China, India and other source countries that are destined for drug cartels in Mexico.

Since the initiative was launched, it has led to the interdiction of almost 1,900 tons of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamines and fentanyl. 

In March, it led to the seizure of about 44 tons of glacial acetic acid at Port Houston, which was also destined for the Sinaloa cartel, ICE said.

“This initiative provides Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with a game-changing method to stay one step ahead of the cartels by disrupting the flow of chemicals that they depend on to produce illicit narcotics,” Chad Plantz, ICE HSI-Houston special agent in charge, said in a statement.