Fentanyl Is Overwhelming Mexico’s Border Cities

Seizures and use of the deadly synthetic opioid are up by six times what was reported only two years ago.
fentanyl-seizures-spike-mexico-border
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent weighs a package of Fentanyl at the San Ysidro port of entry in California, on October 2, 2019. Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER / AFP via Getty Images.

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico—Fentanyl seizures and use in Mexico are up by six times what was reported only two years ago, according to new government data. In particular, Mexico’s border cities have seen a spike in the presence of fentanyl as drug cartels continue to ship massive quantities of the synthetic opioid to the U.S.

Border cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, Ciudad Juarez and Nogales saw a 635 percent rise in fentanyl seizures during 2021, compared with the previous year, according to figures from the Mexico’s Defense Ministry. 

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In 2019, the authorities recovered 136 kilos of fentanyl, and in 2020 that rose to 418. During 2022, the amount of fentanyl seized skyrocketed to 864 kilos. 

Most of the seizures were reported in three states: Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora. Sinaloa isn’t a border state, but the base of the Sinaloa Cartel and where most of the drug is manufactured, according to news reports.  

The amount of fentanyl seized in Mexico could seem small when compared to other drugs like cocaine or heroin, but the strength of the synthetic opioid allows criminal organizations to maximize profits even with low quantities of the substance. 

The use of fentanyl amongst Mexican users is also up dramatically year on year. In 2019 only 25 people were treated for fentanyl overdoses across Mexico, and in 2020 that number rose to 72. Last year, the number reached 184, a rise of 636 per cent year on year. 

Most overdoses occurred in states of Sonora (91 cases), Baja California (6), and Sinaloa (18). 

Fentanyl is the most recent business boom drug for the Mexican cartels, which have embraced its production and trafficking in response to the demand for opioids in the U.S. It’s a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin, according to US authorities

Since early 2018, the heroin market in Mexican border cities has been switching from “Black Tar,” a chewy brownish paste, to “China White,” a white powder that looks similar to cocaine. China White allows dealers to mix fentanyl into heroin, which in turn has been contributing to more overdoses in the border cities.

In Tijuana alone, sixty to 70 percent of the total heroin tested during a seven month period was laced with fentanyl, according to an investigation last year by the harm reduction centers Verter and PrevenCasa. 

Seizures of fentanyl on the U.S. side of the border have also risen in recent years, and last year more than doubled compared to 2020.