Mexico navy finds 50 tons of meth in mountain lab

Mexican marines

on Friday said they had discovered an underground drug lab in the mountains outside the capital of Sinaloa state where they destroyed 50 tons of methamphetamine .

Marines found the lab after intelligence reports indicated that tons of drugs were being produced in the area of Alcoyonqui municipality , about 12 miles (19 km) outside the state capital of Culiacán , the ministry of the navy said in a statement.

The finding occured on Thursday morning , while the Mexican Navy’s armed forces were conducting a ground inspection near the area. At first, they discovered a trail of tire marks, which they followed for a couple of miles until they found buried drums filled with crystal meth in a liquid state.

The tracking group approached the narco-laboratory, where they found at least 5 tons of the substance , ready for transport. The camp covered an area of at least 500 square meters in which they also found a shelter built for 30 people .

Unfortunately, the armed forces were unable to make arrests, since people working at the lab had had a head start upon noticing the authorities approaching the camp.

In photos provided by the ministry, two marines in hazmat suits can be seen examining dozens of plastic containers in a mountain forest.

The statement said the drugs were hidden underground in two areas along with barrels of the chemicals used to produce meth. The drugs were incinerated on site due to the difficult access to the remote location, the ministry said.

Mexico

is a major supplier of methamphetamine to the United States and the top source of heroin , which is fueling a surge in opioid addiction. The country is also the principal highway for cocaine trafficked north.

Sinaloa is the seat of the powerful cartel formerly run by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán , who will face trial in the United States later this year.

Mexico and the US will fight drug cartels together

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