El Centro| The Discourse

2025 National Drug Threat Assessment

by SWJ Staff

05.18.2025 at 04:51pm

2025 National Drug Threat Assessment Image

Letter from the Acting Administrator

It is my privilege to present the 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), a comprehensive report that provides a national-level perspective on the threats posed by deadly illicit drugs and the violent transnational criminal organizations responsible for producing the drugs poisoning our communities. This annual assessment from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) provides valuable strategic drug-related intelligence to communities, health professionals, educators, and law enforcement agencies to help inform their response to this crisis.

DEA’s goal in publishing the NDTA is to put a spotlight on the immense harm being perpetrated against our country by Mexican cartels and their networks – and to help save lives by raising awareness about the drug crisis. The 2025 NDTA highlights the threat to public health, the rule of law, and national security in the United States posed by the trafficking of powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl. Drug overdose deaths are finally decreasing across the country, but too many Americans, especially young Americans, are still dying from poisonings caused by drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.

The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, now designated along with six other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations, are the primary groups producing the illicit synthetic drugs driving U.S. drug poisoning deaths and trafficking these drugs into the United States. The cartels produce fentanyl and methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Mexico using precursor chemicals and pill presses sourced from companies in China. Much of the fentanyl is pressed into pills resembling legitimate medication and sold to customers in the United States through social media platforms and messaging applications. They rely on business relationships with drug trafficking organizations in the United States who handle the distribution and sale of drugs, and with Chinese money laundering networks to move drug money quickly and consistently from the United States to Mexico. The cartels are not only fueling the drug poisoning deaths in the United States but also committing egregious acts of violence, threatening the security and stability of our partners across the Western Hemisphere.

DEA, alongside our federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners, is relentless in combatting drug trafficking and defeating the ruthless organizations responsible for poisoning Americans. This collaboration has been key in the seizures of millions of pills containing lethal fentanyl; the extradition and expulsion of cartel members from Mexico to the United States; and the dismantlement of the gangs and other criminal groups responsible for drug-related deaths and violence.

I am especially honored to dedicate this year’s NDTA to the memory of Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. I encourage you to read the story of this remarkable agent, man, and father on the next page and join us in renewing our commitment, every day, to this fight.

Dedication to Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena

Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena

Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was more than a DEA agent – he was a Marine, a fireman, a police officer, a husband, and a father. He dedicated his life to service, upholding the highest ideals of justice, integrity, and courage. Over his 11 years with the DEA, he earned numerous awards for his exceptional work, and was posthumously awarded the Administrator’s Award of Honor, DEA’s highest recognition, for his ultimate sacrifice.

Special Agent Camarena was abducted outside the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in 1985 and then tortured and murdered at the hands of cartel operatives. The tragic event sparked Operation Leyenda, the largest homicide investigation DEA has ever conducted, and led to the arrest of high-ranking cartel figures responsible for his death.

Special Agent Camarena’s bravery and unwavering commitment to the mission of fighting to keep deadly drugs off American streets remains embedded in the very fabric of this agency – in prevention, education, and justice. His legacy also continues in the Red Ribbon Campaign: the longest-running drug prevention program in U.S. history that was born from his memory and has inspired millions of Americans to commit to a drug-free life.

Four decades later, Rafael Caro Quintero – the man charged in the United States with the torture and murder of Special Agent Camarena – was finally brought to justice. Caro Quintero was expelled to the United States from Mexico in February 2025, along with 28 other fugitive cartel members. The expulsions are a statement to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: No matter how long it takes, justice will find you.

They are also a testament to the power of collaboration, made possible through the unwavering commitment of the Department of Justice, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and every agency that played a role in serving justice for Special Agent Camarena, his family, and for every DEA employee – past, present, and future – who carries his legacy forward. We invite you to join us in this commitment.

We will never forget!

Frank A. Tarentino II, Special Agent in Charge for DEA New York Division, speaks following a hearing for Rafael Caro Quintero at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse. Source: CNN, March 3, 2025

Attorney General Announces 29 Wanted Defendants from Mexico Taken into U.S. Custody

On February 27, 2025, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, and other crimes. The defendants taken into U.S. custody include leaders of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel). These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

One name stands above the rest for the men and women of the DEA — Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list. Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.

Many of the defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests. The Mexican government elected to transfer the defendants in response to the Justice Department’s efforts to pursue total elimination of these Cartels.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, February 27, 2025

Executive Summary

Mexican cartels’ production, trafficking, and distribution of powerful illicit synthetic drugs, chiefly fentanyl and methamphetamine, represent a dire threat to public health, the rule of law, and national security in the United States. The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels (CJNG), together with their procurement, distribution, and financial support networks stretching across Latin America, China, and other key global nodes, remain the dominant threats for the trafficking of these and other drugs into the United States. In the 12-month period ending in October 2024, 84,076 Americans died from a drug overdose, according to the most recent available provisional statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), underscoring the devastating effect these cartels have on our country. Although these numbers show a 25 percent decline since the same 12-month period last year – when the country lost 112,910 people to drug poisonings – demonstrating positive momentum in the fight against these drugs and the organizations trafficking them, the threat remains grave. The trend is hopeful, however. October 2024 was the eleventh consecutive month in which CDC reported a reduction, and the current statistics represent the largest 12-month reduction in drug overdose deaths ever recorded.

Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine, are the primary drivers of fatal drug overdose deaths nationwide, while other illicit drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and diverted prescription opioids still contribute meaningfully to the drug threat landscape in the United States. However, overdose and poisoning deaths involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids caused more deaths than all other categories of drugs. This exceptionally deadly drug – often pressed into pills resembling legitimate medications and presented as authentic to customers or mixed into other drugs – creates a heightened risk of fatal overdose for unsuspecting or otherwise opioid-naïve users.

The production and trafficking of drugs by Mexican cartels has fundamentally altered the drug and criminal landscapes in North America. The cartels capitalize on the relative ease of synthetic drug production compared to the physical and environmental limitations of traditional plant-based drug production to generate immense revenues. The cartels maintain steady supply chains for obtaining the precursor chemicals, primarily from China and India, necessary to produce these synthetic drugs. The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, in particular, control clandestine production sites in Mexico, smuggling routes into the United States, and distribution hubs in key U.S. cities. The cartels work with U.S. drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and violent gangs to distribute drugs throughout the country, all exploiting social media and messaging applications to extend their reach to a larger and younger customer base. The cartels’ extensive, complex, and adaptable networks present formidable challenges across the U.S. law enforcement, national security, regulatory, financial, and health and wellness sectors.

Below is a brief survey of this unclassified report.

Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) (Page 10)

This section defines TCOs and their impact on the United States.

- TCOs, including international drug cartels, threaten the safety of the American people and national security.
- They produce and traffic multi-ton quantities of illicit drugs.
- They engage in acts of violence and extortion.
- They launder millions of dollars in illicit proceeds using Chinese money laundering networks (CMLNs), money service businesses (MSBs), front and shell companies, cryptocurrency, trade-based exchanges, and corrupt banking officials.
Eight TCOs have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
Mexican TCOs are leading producers of illicit drugs and control the wholesale trafficking of these drugs into the United States.
They form business relationships with U.S. drug trafficking organizations and violent criminal organizations.

Designation of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (Page 10)

On February 20, 2025, the State Department designated eight TCOs as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs).
- Sinaloa Cartel (CDS)
- Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
- Northeast Cartel (CDN)
- The New Michoacán Family (LNFM)
- Gulf Cartel (CDG)
- United Cartels (CU)
- Tren de Aragua (TdA)
- Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)The designated TCOs (as of 2/20/25) include:
These organizations are involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, weapons trafficking, extortion, bribery, murder, and resource theft.

Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) (Page 11)

This section provides an overview of the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS).

- The Sinaloa Cartel (Cártel de Sinaloa, aka CDS) is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels.
- It is one of the largest producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the United States.
- CDS has smuggled multi-kilogram quantities of illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana into the United States and around the globe for decades.
- The DEA has identified tens of thousands of CDS members, associates, and facilitators operating worldwide.
- CDS operates internationally in at least 40 countries.
- On July 25, 2024, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada-Garcia and Joaquín Guzmán-López were arrested in New Mexico.
- The arrest escalated tensions and infighting between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions.
- CDS is one of the most significant threats to the public health, public safety, and national security of the United States.
- The cartel uses vast distribution networks to transport drugs into the United States, primarily through ports of entry (POEs) in California and Arizona.
- CDS associates, facilitators, and affiliates operate in almost all 50 U.S. states.
- U.S.-based affiliates use social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications to advertise and distribute their deadly products.

Criminal Activity (Page 12)

Illicit Fentanyl and Procurement of Precursor Chemicals:

- - CDS controls extensive networks to procure and ship precursor chemicals from China and India.
  - They use maritime ports to smuggle precursor chemicals into CDS-controlled laboratories.
  - These laboratories produce millions of illicit fentanyl pills and thousands of pounds of illicit fentanyl powder every year.
  - Recently, factions of CDS began adding xylazine to batches of fentanyl smuggled into the United States.

Methamphetamine:

- - CDS produces multi-ton quantities of high-purity and -potency methamphetamine.
  - Methamphetamine seized and tested has reached the highest purity and potency ever recorded, with average purity levels reaching nearly 97 percent in 2025.
  - CDS leverages the trafficking and supply of methamphetamine and cocaine to flood lucrative drug markets in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Other Drugs:

- - CDS has long-standing ties with cocaine producers in South America and has cultivated opium poppy for the production of heroin for generations.
  - The cartel has also become involved in the manufacturing and trafficking of “tusi,” a pink-colored drug cocktail.
  - CDS is capable of importing large quantities of ketamine from China to facilitate tusi production in Mexico.

Other Criminal Activities:

- - CDS engages in a wide range of violent criminal activities to protect their drug operations.
  - CDS uses violence to intimidate civilians, government officials, and journalists.
  - Additionally, CDS engages in money laundering, extortion, theft of petroleum and natural resources, weapons trafficking, human smuggling, prostitution, and illegal wildlife trade.

Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) (Page 13)

This section provides an overview of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

- The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, aka CJNG) is one of Mexico’s most powerful, influential, and ruthless transnational criminal organizations.
- It is a key supplier of illicit fentanyl to the United States.
- CJNG has expanded its operations beyond Mexico’s borders, establishing a presence in over 40 countries.
- The cartel uses its vast financial resources, unique franchise-based command structure, proclivity for violence, and access to corrupt officials to maintain and expand its influence over Mexico’s illicit drug trade.
- CJNG could capitalize on the conflict between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
- A strategic alliance between CJNG and Los Chapitos has the potential to expand these groups’ territories, resources, firepower, and access to corrupt officials.
- CJNG is one of the most significant threats to the public health, public safety, and national security of the United States.
- The cartel operates clandestine laboratories in Mexico where they manufacture illicit drugs.
- CJNG associates, facilitators, and affiliates operate in almost all 50 U.S. states.

Criminal Activity (Page 14)

- CJNG is heavily involved in the manufacturing, trafficking, and distribution of illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
- CJNG’s financial arm, Los Cuinis, leads the cartel’s diverse network of money laundering operations and tactics to repatriate global illicit drug proceeds back to Mexico.
- This group and other CJNG factions use CMLNs, cryptocurrency exchanges, bulk cash smuggling, trade-based money laundering, and other methods for laundering illicit drug-related proceeds.

Other Criminal Activity (Page 15)

- CJNG is likely increasing its involvement in non-drug activities, to include gasoline theft, extortion schemes, infiltrating legitimate industries, taxing human smuggling, and perpetrating real estate schemes—including timeshare fraud—for money laundering purposes.
- CJNG members increasingly participate in these activities to diversify revenue streams and protect drug trafficking assets from law enforcement seizure.

Northeast Cartel (CDN) (Page 15)

This section provides an overview of the Northeast Cartel (CDN).

- The Northeast Cartel (Cártel del Noreste, aka CDN) is a large network of compartmentalized cells responsible for fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana trafficking operations throughout the United States and Mexico.
- CDN has a dangerous reputation, with members regularly engaging in public acts of violence, including assassination, torture, kidnapping, and intimidation.
- The cartel is responsible for illicit drug shipments crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Texas before moving the drugs to distribution hubs in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth.
- CDN is also involved in large-scale human smuggling operations into the United States, often kidnapping or exploiting migrants for purposes of extortion or forced labor.
- The Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel provides CDN with illicit fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, and cocaine.
- CDN facilitates the sale and distribution of these drugs using routes under control of the Sinaloa Cartel.
- CDN’s preferred concealment methods for smuggling drugs include personally operated vehicles, drug mules, and tractor-trailer cargo.
- Additionally, CDN exploits the Omnibus de Mexico (OMEX)—a passenger bus company—to smuggle drugs into the United States.
- CDN associates, facilitators, and affiliates operate throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia, as well as in the upper Midwest.

Criminal Activity (Page 16)

- CDN is involved in a diverse range of criminal activities, including kidnapping, extortion, vehicle theft, human smuggling, money laundering, prostitution, and armed robbery.
- The cartel is known to extort money from migrants crossing the Rio Grande River in CDN-controlled areas.
- Elements of CDN have been known to use their corrupt influence to attempt to bribe state police officers to protect their drug and human smuggling networks.
- Additionally, CDN has been setting up cash-intensive businesses in Ciudad Victoria to facilitate the cartel’s money laundering activities.

The Michoacán Family (LFM) (Page 16)

This section provides an overview of The Michoacán Family (LFM).

- The Michoacán Family (La Familia Michoacána, aka LFM) is an umbrella organization holding territory in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacán, Morelos, and the State of Mexico.
- LFM formed in 2006 to fight the encroachment of Los Zetas into Michoacán.
- LFM has been known for using violence and military-style tactics to fight against other TCOs.
- LFM does not currently operate as a large cohesive organization; instead, it exists as a conglomerate of several powerful factions.
- Factions of LFM traffic methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and maintain control of the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas.
- Given the distance of LFM’s territory from the U.S.-Mexico border, factions of the cartel align themselves with larger organizations to gain access to trafficking routes and POEs at the border.
- Two significant factions of LFM, the New Michoacán Family and the United Cartels, are among the TCOs designated as FTOs by the U.S. Department of State.
- LFM associates, facilitators, and affiliates – or those of its “sister” groups, the New Michoacán Family and the United Cartels – operate in about one-third of U.S. states.

New Michoacán Family (LNFM) (Page 18)

This section provides an overview of the New Michoacán Family (LNFM).

- The New Michoacán Family (La Nueva Familia Michoacána, aka LNFM) is the most powerful faction of LFM.
- LNFM mainly operates in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacán which includes the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas.
- The Port of Lázaro Cárdenas is often contested by CJNG due to its strategic importance as a point of importation for precursor chemicals sourced from China and cocaine arriving from Colombia.
- LNFM is involved in the trafficking of illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin and has made alliances at different times with CJNG, CDS factions, and the Gulf Cartel to gain access to trafficking routes and POEs into the United States.
- LNFM is responsible for the transportation, importation, and distribution of multi-ton quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin into the United States.
- LNFM frequently uses tractor-trailer cargo to transport illicit drugs from Mexico into the United States, where they use rental homes in different cities as stash houses.
- The cartel also operates multiple clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in the state of Guerrero, producing ton-quantities of the drug every month.
- LNFM traffics this methamphetamine mostly to the Dallas, Texas area – their primary U.S. market – often concealed in shipments of produce.
- Although their U.S. base of operations is the Dallas area, LNFM associates, facilitators, and affiliates – or those of its “sister” groups, LFM and the United Cartels – operate in about one-third of U.S. states.

Criminal Activity (Page 19)

- LNFM launders drug proceeds through the black-market peso exchange (BMPE), bulk cash shipments, and wire transfers through various cartel-affiliated money services business (MSBs).
- LNFM is also involved in money laundering activities in the United States using unsuspecting legitimate businesses.
- LNFM smuggles weapons across the Guatemala-Mexico border and is also involved in illegal mining and the extortion of mining companies throughout its territories.

United Cartels (CU) (Page 19)

This section provides an overview of the United Cartels (CU).

- The United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos, aka CU) is a faction of LFM formed from an alliance of multiple criminal groups to combat CJNG in the state of Michoacán.
- CU’s territory largely overlaps that of LNFM.
- The main objective of the CU is to maintain its stronghold in the southwestern Michoacán municipality of Tepalcatepec, in the Tierra Caliente region, a strategic drug trafficking route.
- The current composition of CU includes some independent LFM-associated cells, and other small, regional groups such as Cartel del Abuelo, Los Viagras, the Knights Templar (Los Caballeros Templarios), and the White Trojans (Los Blancos de Troya).
- CU maintains a strong but exclusive presence in Michoacán due to its deep roots in the area.
- CU’s stronghold in Tepalcatepec is a strategically significant drug trafficking route for moving drugs and precursor chemicals out of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero and the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán.
- Precursor chemicals and drugs arriving in those areas transit north through CU territory in Michoacán before moving on to Guadalajara and eventually the United States.
- CU associates, facilitators, and affiliates – or those of its “sister” organizations, LFM and LNFM – operate in approximately one-third of U.S. states.

Criminal Activity (Page 19)

- The ongoing rivalry between CU and CJNG leads to high levels of violence in Michoacán as both sides engage in regular shootouts and displays of military power.
- This violence has resulted in numerous casualties among civilians, military, and law enforcement.
- The CU is also known for their extortion of farmers in the Tierra Caliente region.
- Farmers are threatened with kidnapping or death unless they pay protection money.
- In 2019, U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors were directly threatened in Ziracuaretiro when a CU-affiliated gang robbed the truck the inspectors were traveling in at gunpoint.

Gulf Cartel (CDG) (Page 20)

This section provides an overview of the Gulf Cartel (CDG).

- The Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo, aka CDG) has its roots as traffickers of multi-ton quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from its stronghold in the state of Tamaulipas into the United States.
- As of 2025, CDG is no longer a unified cartel, having split into multiple factions.
- The two most powerful factions are Los Metros and Los Escorpiones.
- These two factions fight each other for control of trafficking routes and territory—especially the Port of Altamira—as well as for overall control of CDG.
- The Los Metros faction is aligned with CJNG for protection from Los Mayos, CDN, and other CDG factions.
- The alliance helps facilitate the uninterrupted flow of drugs from both CJNG and Los Metros into the United States.
- In exchange, CJNG gains access to POEs on the U.S.-Mexico border as well as to the Port of Altamira, which is used to import precursor chemicals.
- The Los Escorpiones faction is currently fighting CDN and other factions of CDG for control of the Reynosa, Tamaulipas area.
- CDG controls significant drug trafficking routes into the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas, transporting illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.
- The Los Metros faction has effectively become an enforcement arm of CJNG in northeastern Mexico and assists in protecting and transporting CJNG-owned shipments across the border.
- CDG associates, facilitators, and affiliates operate in approximately 16 U.S. states.

Criminal Activity (Page 21)

- CDG is primarily a drug- and human-smuggling cartel, moving migrants and shipments of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin into South Texas.
- CDG generates significant revenue from its migrant-smuggling operations, augmenting their illicit drug proceeds.
- Much of their money is smuggled back to Mexico in bulk cash, but they also launder money via money exchange businesses throughout the Brownsville, Texas area.

Operation Top Fuel (Liquid Death) (Page 21)

- Multiple federal and state law enforcement and regulatory agencies are jointly targeting a Mexican TCO involved in smuggling methamphetamine, heroin, and black-market oil and gas across the Texas/Mexico border.
- The investigation has identified multiple cartel leaders who have significant ties to CJNG, CDS, LFM, and CDG.
- This investigation has discovered that the TCOs are obtaining or stealing, then smuggling, Mexican PEMEX crude oil into the United States for sale to U.S. oil and gas companies, in a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme.
- The investigation has determined that this black-market petroleum smuggling operation is the primary means by which the TCO funds its networks.
- On September 10, 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, in coordination with DEA, sanctioned nine Mexican subjects and 26 entities involved in fuel theft.

Other Violent Transnational Criminal Organizations (Page 22)

This section discusses other violent TCOs designated as FTOs.

- The U.S. State Department designated the violent TCOs Tren de Aragua (TdA) and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) as FTOs.
- Members of these groups sell illicit drugs at the street level, commit violent crimes, and actively recruit both U.S. citizens and undocumented migrants from South and Central America into their organizations.

Tren de Aragua (TdA) (Page 22)

- Tren de Aragua (aka TdA) is a violent criminal organization founded between 2012 and 2013 in Aragua, Venezuela.
- In the United States, TdA mainly operates within Venezuelan migrant communities.
- TdA facilitates the smuggling of thousands of Venezuelan migrants into the United States and then extorts the migrants, forcing them into prostitution or other crimes to pay off their smuggling debts.
- TdA members routinely commit assault, robbery, and murder as part of carrying out these extortion rackets.
- TdA members also conduct small-scale drug trafficking activities such as the distribution of tusi.
- In some areas of the United States, TdA members work for larger criminal organizations, conducting murder-for-hire and working as drug couriers, stash house guards, and street level drug distributors.
- TdA members are suspected and/or charged with a variety of crimes including drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, extortion, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, prostitution, organized retail crime, robberies, and document fraud.

Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) (Page 22)

- Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, is an extremely violent international criminal gang founded in Los Angeles, California in the 1980s by El Salvadoran immigrants.
- The gang is well-established in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
- MS-13 members also engage in retail-level drug trafficking, robbery, prostitution, extortion, firearms offenses, and other crimes.

Fentanyl (Page 24)

This section focuses on the threat posed by fentanyl.

- Illicit opioids, particularly illicitly manufactured fentanyl, remain the primary drivers behind the ongoing epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the United States.
- Fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with other illicit drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.
- Users may take these drugs without the knowledge that they contain fentanyl, which greatly increases the risk of poisoning.
- Fake pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl present an additional danger.
- Many of these fake pills are manufactured to resemble licit prescription pills, such as oxycodone M30 pills.
- The fentanyl content in these fake pills is only revealed after laboratory analysis.
- Overdose deaths have decreased but remain at dangerously high levels.
- Provisional data from CDC indicated that 74,702 of the 107,543 total drug overdose deaths in 2023 (69 percent) involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.
- In the 12-month period ending in October 2024, the United States recorded 52,385 overdose deaths from synthetic opioids – a 33 percent decline – while overall overdose deaths, from any drug, declined approximately 26 percent.

Fentanyl: An Overview

Description

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has become a major driver of overdose deaths in the United States. This section covers the sources of fentanyl, trafficking methods, chemical composition, and the DEA’s efforts to combat its spread.

Key Terms and Important Points

- Mexican TCOs (Transnational Criminal Organizations):
  - Dominate the supply of fentanyl to the U.S. (Page 26)
  - Utilize complex networks to smuggle drugs via air, maritime, and overland routes. (Page 26)
  - Employ couriers, border tunnels, and stash houses. (Page 26)
  - Increasingly use social media to promote drug sales and recruit dealers. (Page 26)
- China-Based Suppliers:
  - Rely on sophisticated shipping methods to evade detection. (Page 26)
  - Use international export brokers, consignees, and freight forwarders. (Page 26)
  - Methods include mislabeling cargo, using third-party countries for transshipment, and exploiting legitimate companies. (Page 26)
  - May expand precursor chemical supply chains to include manufacturers in India, Europe, and elsewhere. (Page 26)
- DEA’s Fentanyl Profiling Program:
  - Analyzes fentanyl samples from seizures across the U.S. (Page 27)
  - In 2024, the average fentanyl pill contained 1.94 mg of fentanyl, ranging from 1.58 mg to 2.18 mg. (Page 26)
  - Approximately 5 out of 10 fake pills contain 2mg or more of fentanyl. (Page 26)
  - The average purity of fentanyl powder samples was 11.36 percent, ranging from 0.07 percent to 82 percent. (Page 26)
- Lethal Dose:
  - Approximately 2mg of pure fentanyl is considered a lethal dose, depending on the user’s opiate tolerance. (Page 26)
- Transshipment:
  - Chemical shipments can arrive in the U.S. or Canada and then be smuggled into Mexico. (Page 27)
  - Used to safeguard precursor chemicals and mask the country of origin. (Page 27)
- Fentanyl “Super Laboratories” in Canada:
  - Elevated synthetic drug production in Canada is a growing concern. (Page 27)
  - As of Spring 2025, 22.7 kilograms of Canada-sourced fentanyl were seized at the U.S.-Canada border in 2024, compared to 9,354 kilograms seized at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Page 27)
  - These operations could expand and fill supply voids. (Page 27)
- Fentanyl Purity:
  - Declined throughout 2024 due to difficulties in obtaining key precursor chemicals. (Page 28)
  - Some China-based chemical suppliers are wary of supplying controlled precursors. (Page 28)
- Adulterants:
  - Drug dealers adulterate fentanyl with animal tranquilizers (xylazine), anesthetics (ketamine), and other synthetic opioids (nitazenes). (Page 28)
  - Xylazine is increasingly present in fentanyl samples, especially in powder form. (Page 28)
  - Acetaminophen is more prevalent in fake fentanyl pills. (Page 28)
- Designer Precursors:
  - Chemical suppliers are advertising and shipping “designer” fentanyl precursors that are exempt from regulations. (Page 28)
  - These precursors may have legitimate industrial and consumer purposes. (Page 28)
  - They may also carry additional molecular groups that make them difficult to detect. (Page 28)
- Southwest Border (SWB):
  - Main entry point for fentanyl entering the U.S. (Page 29)
  - In 2024, U.S. law enforcement seized 14,069 kilograms of fentanyl at the SWB, mostly at the Arizona-Mexico border. (Page 29)
- U.S. Interstate Highway System:
  - Used for further distribution and delivery. (Page 30)
  - Approximately 2,300 kilograms of fentanyl were seized on the ten most heavily traveled U.S. Interstates in 2024. (Page 30)
- Fentanyl Cocktails (Co-Reported Drugs):
  - Increased mixing of fentanyl with other drugs. (Page 30)
  - Many users and dealers are unaware of the exact makeup of the drugs they are consuming or selling. (Page 30)
  - Drug mixing occurs throughout the supply stream. (Page 30)
  - One in four cocaine submissions and one in eight methamphetamine submissions revealed fentanyl content. (Page 30)
- Polydrug Mixtures:
  - Just over 10 percent of exhibits are submitted as known polydrug mixtures. (Page 31)
  - 75 percent of these contained fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance as the primary substance in 2024. (Page 31)
- Carfentanil:
  - A synthetic opioid 10,000 times more potent than morphine. (Page 31)
  - Mainly used as a tranquilizing agent for large animals such as elephants. (Page 31)
  - Appears sporadically in the U.S. illicit drug market, usually in polydrug mixtures. (Page 31)
  - Over 100,000 fake M-30 pills containing carfentanil were seized in the Los Angeles area in February 2025. (Page 31)

Nitazenes:

Synthetic opioids similar to fentanyl but can match or surpass its potency. (Page 32)
First developed in the 1950s for pharmaceutical research but never approved for use. (Page 32)
Many are listed under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). (Page 32)
Top five nitazenes encountered in 2024 were metonitazene, protonitazene, n-pyrrolidino etonitazene, n-desethyl isotonitazene, and isotonitazene. (Page 32)
New nitazenes are introduced when current ones become riskier to produce. (Page 32)
Nitazenes have been seen in tablet form, like M-30 pills, and in polydrug mixtures. (Page 32)

Xylazine:

A non-opiate sedative, analgesic, and muscle relaxant approved for veterinary use only. (Page 34)
Increasingly found in U.S. illicit drug markets, mainly in mixtures with fentanyl or other opioids. (Page 34)
Known as “tranq” when mixed with fentanyl. (Page 34)
Naloxone does not reverse its effects. (Page 34)
Can cause severe infections, including necrosis. (Page 34)
Most prevalent in drug samples seized in New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida. (Page 34)

Medetomidine:
- A veterinary anesthetic drug with potent sedative effects. (Page 35)
- Increasingly found mixed with fentanyl and xylazine. (Page 35)
- Potency is 200-300 times greater than xylazine. (Page 35)
- Makes opioid overdoses more difficult to reverse with naloxone. (Page 35)

Heroin: An Overview

Description

Heroin, a plant-based opiate, is being increasingly displaced by synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This section details the sources, trafficking routes, and the deadly combination of heroin and fentanyl.

Key Terms and Important Points

- Decline of Heroin:
  - - Fentanyl is displacing heroin due to lower production costs, faster production times, and independence from weather or agricultural hazards. (Page 36)
    - Heroin-related deaths have declined by approximately 37 percent in the 12-month period ending in October 2024. (Page 36)
- Fentanyl Adulteration:
  - Fentanyl is the drug dealer’s adulterant of choice for heroin. (Page 36)
  - It is difficult to find heroin unadulterated with fentanyl. (Page 36)
  - In 2024, fentanyl was the primary drug in 73 percent of heroin-fentanyl polydrug samples. (Page 36)
  - 82 percent of heroin-related deaths involved fentanyl in 2024. (Page 36)
- Mexican TCOs:
  - Control heroin transportation into and through the U.S. (Page 38)
  - The Southwest Border (SWB) is the main entry point. (Page 38)
  - Rely on U.S.-based criminal groups for distribution. (Page 38)

- Southwest Border (SWB) Seizures:
  - U.S. law enforcement seized 620 kilograms of heroin at the SWB in 2024, mostly at the California-Mexico border. (Page 38)
- U.S. Interstate Highway System:
  - Used for further distribution and delivery. (Page 38)
  - 123 kilograms of heroin were seized on the top ten most heavily traveled U.S. Interstates in 2024. (Page 38)

Methamphetamine: An Overview

Description

Methamphetamine remains a significant drug threat in the United States, with Mexican TCOs dominating production and trafficking. This section covers production methods, trafficking routes, and the increasing prevalence of methamphetamine in pill form.

Key Terms and Important Points

- Mexican TCOs:
  - Primary suppliers of methamphetamine to the U.S. (Page 40)
  - Operate large production laboratories throughout Mexico. (Page 40)
  - Control lucrative smuggling routes into the U.S. (Page 40)

- China-Based Companies:

- - Main source of regulated and non-regulated chemicals used in methamphetamine production. (Page 40)
- DEA’s Methamphetamine Profiling Program:
  - Analyzes methamphetamine exhibits from seizures across the U.S. (Page 40)
  - The majority of methamphetamine available in the U.S. is produced in Mexico. (Page 40)
  - Mexican TCOs produce and traffic a highly pure and potent product. (Page 40)
  - They adapt their production methods as precursor chemicals become restricted. (Page 40)

- Southwest Border (SWB):
  - Main entry point for methamphetamine entering the U.S. (Page 40)
  - Mexican cartels maintain a complex network of facilitators to smuggle methamphetamine. (Page 40)
- Trafficking Methods:

- - Human couriers, commercial flights, parcel services, and commercial buses. (Page 41)
  - Privately owned vehicles are the most common method. (Page 41)
  - Concealment areas include fuel tanks, natural voids in vehicle bodies, and inside tires. (Page 41)
  - Social media platforms are used to advertise and sell methamphetamine. (Page 41)

- Seizures:
  - In 2024, DEA seized 50,575 kilograms of methamphetamine, a 27 percent decrease from 2023. (Page 41)
  - Methamphetamine pill seizures by DEA increased from 2.6 million pills in 2023 to 3.2 million in 2024. (Page 41)
  - Law enforcement seizures of methamphetamine nationwide totaled 133,392 kilograms in 2024. (Page 41)
- U.S. Interstate Highway System:
  - Used for further distribution and delivery. (Page 42)
  - Just over 9,000 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized on the top ten most heavily traveled U.S. Interstates in 2024. (Page 42)
- Overdose Deaths:
  - CDC classifies methamphetamine as a “psychostimulant with abuse potential.” (Page 43)
  - Deaths from psychostimulants have been increasing since 2011. (Page 43)
  - In 2023, there were 36,251 psychostimulant drug overdose deaths in the U.S. (Page 43)
  - Provisional CDC data for 2024 shows 30,023 overdose deaths from psychostimulants. (Page 43)
- Methamphetamine in Solution:

- - A common smuggling tactic where methamphetamine is dissolved in liquid. (Page 44)
  - Distributors must extract the methamphetamine in a conversion laboratory. (Page 44)
  - Seizures of methamphetamine in solution decreased by 75 percent in 2024. (Page 44)
  - Seizures of crystal methamphetamine remain at historically high levels. (Page 45)
- Precursor Chemicals:

- - Mexican TCOs adapt by finding alternative manufacturing methods and using uncontrolled pre-precursor chemicals. (Page 45)
  - Chemical shipments from China are diverted through mislabeling and diversion from legitimate companies. (Page 45)
  - Mexican TCOs have moved to less restricted chemicals, mainly involving phenyl-2-propanone (P2P). (Page 45)
  - Over 98 percent of seized methamphetamine samples were produced using some variation of the P2P production method. (Page 45)
  - Methamphetamine seizures averaged 95 percent purity through 2024. (Page 45)
- Recycling Waste Products:
  - Mexican TCOs recycle waste products from methamphetamine production, maximizing profit and efficiency. (Page 45)

- Methamphetamine in Pill Form:
  - Aimed at non-traditional users, particularly those in the prescription pill and “club drug” user population. (Page 46)
  - Often sold as fake pharmaceutical pills mimicking Adderall or disguised as MDMA tablets. (Page 46)
  - The prevalence of fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine heightens the risk of unintentional drug poisonings. (Page 46)
  - The overall weight of methamphetamine pill seizures was far higher in 2024 than in previous years. (Page 46)

Cocaine: An Overview

Description

Cocaine trafficking and abuse remain a persistent threat in the United States. This section covers the sources of cocaine, trafficking routes, and the increasing concern of cocaine adulterated with fentanyl.

Key Terms and Important Points

- Source Countries:
  - Colombia remains the primary source country for cocaine entering the U.S., followed by Peru and Bolivia. (Page 48)
- Mexican Cartels:
  - Obtain multi-ton cocaine shipments from South America. (Page 48)
  - Smuggle cocaine via sea, air, or overland to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. (Page 48)
- U.S.-Based Criminal Groups:
  - Distribute cocaine within the United States. (Page 48)
  - Some cocaine is converted to crack at the local level. (Page 48)
- Cocaine Signature Program (CSP):

- - Approximately 84 percent of domestic cocaine samples seized in 2024 were of Colombian origin. (Page 48)
  - The CSP has identified Colombia as the primary source for cocaine in the U.S. for 25 years. (Page 48)
  - Indicates an increase in domestic cocaine hydrochloride purity at the wholesale level, from 86 percent in 2023 to 88 percent in 2024. (Page 48)
- Fatalities:

- - Fatal cocaine overdoses remain high but are slightly lower than in 2023. (Page 49)
  - Provisional CDC data for 2024 shows a 25 percent decrease in cocaine-related overdose deaths. (Page 49)
- Cocaine Use:

- - Cocaine use in the United States decreased slightly from 2022 to 2023. (Page 49)
  - In 2023, five million people self-reported using cocaine. (Page 49)
- Cocaine-Fentanyl Mixtures:

- - The sale of cocaine adulterated with fentanyl is an increasing public safety concern. (Page 49)
  - U.S.-based DTOs are intentionally adulterating cocaine with fentanyl to create a “super speedball.” (Page 49)
  - Fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds were co-reported in over 25 percent of all cocaine submissions in 2024. (Page 49)
- Seizures:

- - Approximately 63 metric tons of cocaine powder were seized by U.S. law enforcement in 2024, an 18 percent increase from 2023. (Page 49)

- Southwest Border (SWB):
  - Mexican TCOs dominate cocaine trafficking into and through the U.S. (Page 49)
  - A total of 17,181 kilograms of cocaine were seized at the SWB in 2024, mostly at the California-Mexico border. (Page 49)
- U.S. Interstate Highway System:
  - Used for further distribution and delivery. (Page 49)
  - Just over 7,000 kilograms of cocaine were seized on the top ten most heavily traveled U.S. Interstates in 2024. (Page 49)

Marijuana: An Overview

Description

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law and is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. This section covers the sources of marijuana, the impact of state-level legalization, and the increasing potency of THC.

Key Terms and Important Points

- Legal Status:
  - Marijuana is illegal under federal law. (Page 52)
  - “Legalized” or “decriminalized” for recreational use in 24 states and the District of Columbia as of January 2024. (Page 52)
  - “Legalized” for “medical” use in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of January 2024. (Page 52)
  - Nebraska is the most recent state to “legalize” marijuana for medical use. (Page 52)
- Black Market Expansion:
  - The black market for marijuana has expanded significantly as Chinese and other Asian TCOs have taken control of the marijuana trade. (Page 52)
  - These groups profit from both illegal cultivation and sales, and from exploiting the “legal” market. (Page 52)
- THC Levels:

- - Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. (Page 53)
  - THC levels continue to climb and are largely unregulated in states where marijuana has been legalized. (Page 53)
  - Potency levels in THC-based products, such as dabs and edibles, are often even higher – sometimes as high as 90 percent. (Page 53)
  - Product labeling is often inaccurate, putting consumers at risk. (Page 53)
  - The potency of THC in plant marijuana and in hash oil is at an all-time high. (Page 53)
  - Data from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Program shows that potency increased steadily since 1995. (Page 53)
  - As of 2022, THC potency in plant marijuana averaged over 16 percent, from less than four percent in 1995. (Page 53)

- Chinese TCOs:

- - Over the past 10 years, Chinese TCOs have come to dominate the cultivation and distribution of marijuana throughout the United States. (Page 53)
  - They purchase real estate for indoor and outdoor grows, funded through family and community connections. (Page 53)
  - Undocumented Chinese immigrants staff many of the grow sites. (Page 53)
  - Most grow sites are located in states where the cannabis industry is “legal.” (Page 53)
  - They produce the most potent form of marijuana, with a THC content averaging 25 to 30 percent. (Page 53)
  - The grow sites use pesticides and fertilizers shipped from China, including chemicals banned in the United States. (Page 53)

Marijuana: Illicit Activities and Trends (2024)