Feds intercept 1,300 barrels of meth precursor chemicals shipped from China to Mexico

[sbrothy]

All this talk about fentanyl and nitazene doesn't mean other areas of "business" are neglected:

Feds intercept 1,300 barrels of meth precursor chemicals shipped from China to Mexico

"Pirro said that the seizure will put a dent in the drug trafficking organizations, though it may take them a while to recoup from the loss."

Does that make any sense? I mean the word "though" I guess.

 

[dlu]

Not much info in the FOX reporting to back up their claims.
and some sort of clickbait heading with little content for FOX
Prove me wrong.
Other sites had better coverage on this curtailing of the supply chain.

The Bill of Lading certainly would not say destination Sinaloa cartel.
Nothing about Mexico being tipped off to raid the importer as being part of the drug cartel.
Why not? is a good question for Mexico.

Seized benzyl alcohol and N-Methylformamide could have produced 420,000 pounds of methamphetamine​

Both are solvents and would be 'essential' chemicals, not pre-precursors, for manufacturing of organic compounds, in the medical and agricultural business.
Benzyl alcohol not regulated (yet)( for import ), except that due to its hazards for transport and handling.

See more information.

https://insightcrime.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Flow-of-Precursor-Chemicals-for-Synthetic-Drug-Production-in-Mexico-InSight-Crime-March-2023-3.pdf

Appendix IV has a list of chemicals in the supply chain.

 

[dlu]

Why not? is a good question for Mexico.

And Canada, ( too politically correct to not investigate )
Not that the US would acknowledge it is the biggest user across the world.

Check this for NZ - sad story
Price per kilo: Mexico $500, Canada 10,000 NZ 300,000

 

[sbrothy]

Not much info in the FOX reporting to back up their claims.
and some sort of clickbait heading with little content for FOX
Prove me wrong.
Other sites had better coverage on this curtailing of the supply chain.

The Bill of Lading certainly would not say destination Sinaloa cartel.
Nothing about Mexico being tipped off to raid the importer as being part of the drug cartel.
Why not? is a good question for Mexico.

Seized benzyl alcohol and N-Methylformamide could have produced 420,000 pounds of methamphetamine​

Both are solvents and would be 'essential' chemicals, not pre-precursors, for manufacturing of organic compounds, in the medical and agricultural business.
Benzyl alcohol not regulated (yet)( for import ), except that due to its hazards for transport and handling.

See more information.

https://insightcrime.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Flow-of-Precursor-Chemicals-for-Synthetic-Drug-Production-in-Mexico-InSight-Crime-March-2023-3.pdf

Appendix IV has a list of chemicals in the supply chain.

Ugh. I’ve worked with Bill of Ladings using PL/SQL. They don’t make good primary indexes, apart from the fact there are variations enough to have many. If I remember correctly Oracle forced indexes on all the tables, if that makes sense.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

It's coming from China and somehow we're going to war with Venezuela

 

[sbrothy]

Aaah, the logic war... I mean the logic of war!

 

[OmCheeto]

It's coming from China and somehow we're going to war with Venezuela

Maybe it's because Venezuela now has the worlds largest oil reserves? And they're a bunch of stinkin' commies? This kind of reminds me of US&British vs. Iran relations in the 50's.

oil reserve ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...#/media/File:Oil_Reserves_Top_5_Countries.png

Iran ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalization_of_the_Iranian_oil_industry

 

[dlu]

Ugh. I’ve worked with Bill of Ladings using PL/SQL. They don’t make good primary indexes, apart from the fact there are variations enough to have many. If I remember correctly Oracle forced indexes on all the tables, if that makes sense.

The global trade data should be there somewhere.
Sites like thus exist, accessing customs information.

#1 Global Trade Data Platform - Trade Intelligence Solutions | ImportGenius

ImportGenius is the #1 platform for global trade data. Track shipments, find suppliers, monitor competitors, and access insights from 8M+ US businesses and 23+ countries.

www.importgenius.com

I wonder how the US was able to pinpoint one out of thousands of ships, and particularly the one going to Venezuela just so they can say " Oh, look what we have here!" as if in surprise.
Was it just a coordinated trash against Venezuela, and not so much anybody else,
It should have brought more news coverage, or interest from the public to get down to details.
Bad Fox for crappy reporting, and other major news outlets for not highlighting the story more.

One of the reasons the 'de minimus' small package customs exemption was lifted was that bad actors took advantage.

How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law

Narcos are sneaking fentanyl precursors into America under the noses of border agents. Fast-track customs entry helps them do it.

www.reuters.com

This could be the same story it it states Mexco, instead of Venezuela.
Whse picture look the same.
Homeland Security Investigations International worked closely with foreign law enforcement partners to consolidate the shipments in Panama and bring them here to the Port of Houston. I can’t thank all of our partners enough."

six shipping containers of benzyl alcohol, a solvent used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals

U.S. Seizes 300,000 Kilos of Meth Precursor Chemicals Sent from China Destined for Mexico’s Sinaloa Drug Cartel

More than 300,000 kilograms of chemicals used to produce methamphetamine and intended for clandistine labs controlled by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico were seized this week by agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Port of...

www.justice.gov

Reuters on the importers
That’s because the global chemical industry is vast, and many compounds that can be used to manufacture fentanyl have legal industrial uses. These dual-use chemicals are often unregulated or only lightly controlled by the U.S., Mexico and China. That allows brokers to slip easily between the underworld and the mainstream chemical trade to garner what they need.

The shadowy ‘brokers’ smuggling fentanyl chemicals for Mexican cartels

Chemical brokers are the supply chiefs of the fentanyl trade, smuggling key ingredients from China to Mexico. Bribes, trickery and violence help them feed the pipeline.

www.reuters.com

 

[sbrothy]

[...]

Working for Maersk Data I was told a story I strongly suspect is apocryphal:

A couple of containers fell off during a storm or some such (happens more often than they want people to know) and they happened to be filled with LEGO. One of them contained a b..load of LEGO-"men". Supposedly, the joke "man over board" got a good workout that day!

 

[sbrothy]

Unfortunately the DEA stopped publishing this quite interesting periodical:

The Drug Enforcement Administration's Microgram Bulletin & Microgram Journal Archives (Erowid)

Erowid is a quite interesting site.

 

[sbrothy]

It's coming from China and somehow we're going to war with Venezuela

By "liking" this post obviously I don't mean I like the fact of it but rather the information itself. Probably self-evident, I just wanted to make absolutely sure.

 

[sbrothy]

Not much info in the FOX reporting to back up their claims.
and some sort of clickbait heading with little content for FOX
Prove me wrong.
Other sites had better coverage on this curtailing of the supply chain.
[...]

Well yeah. Sorry about the FOX link. I normally visit huffpost and FOX, or some other combination of two extremes to get a kind of average news coverage.

 

[dlu]

Well yeah. Sorry about the FOX link. I normally visit huffpost and FOX, or some other combination of two extremes to get a kind of average news coverage.

You are too polite.
You presented the story and listed the resource ( Fox )
Not much more you can do than that. <-- Smilet Face.

I am glad you posted the topic as it allowed myself to inquire further that which FOX summarized inadequately in this case with simplifications and a headline grabbing 'On the HighSeas' . My opinion only, as I would have liked to know more about the How, Why, When, Where, of journalism.
I shared what I found as extra info.
I still do not have the answer as to how it is known that the shipment was destined to a cartel rather than a legitimate chemical company.

Small rant:
Quit a few news outlets use copy and paste for their stories, and/or do summaries with an AI and then call it their own, without a reference to the original story and what 'their own investigation' revealed. Limited money, time and effort and laziness creeping into the main stream news industry.

 

[sbrothy]

You are too polite.
You presented the story and listed the resource ( Fox )
Not much more you can do than that. <-- Smilet Face.

I am glad you posted the topic as it allowed myself to inquire further that which FOX summarized inadequately in this case with simplifications and a headline grabbing 'On the HighSeas' . My opinion only, as I would have liked to know more about the How, Why, When, Where, of journalism.
I shared what I found as extra info.
I still do not have the answer as to how it is known that the shipment was destined to a cartel rather than a legitimate chemical company.

Small rant:
Quit a few news outlets use copy and paste for their stories, and/or do summaries with an AI and then call it their own, without a reference to the original story and what 'their own investigation' revealed. Limited money, time and effort and laziness creeping into the main stream news industry.

True dat. And good digging btw.

Btw Bellingcat is an interesting source too.

 

[sbrothy]

There also seems to be a Chinese/Japanese connection:

Chinese Fentantyl Smuggling OP’s Japanese Footprints (Bellingcat)

EDIT: OTOH I’m not sure how surprising it is that the logistics of drug smuggling is complicated and crosses many borders. Both for production, refinery and actual transportation. And yes, money and paper trails.

 

[dlu]

Some recent developments on the illegal drug front:

Mexican unrest with narco state and corruption
Riots onto the Presidential Palace video


An odd one. RCMP, FBI, international
Reward issued by FBI of $15 miilion ( from $10 million ) for information leading to the capture of drug lord Ryan James Wedding, former Olympian skate border. Responsible for 60 tonnes of coccaine from Columbia through Mexicim California Canada
Seven arrested in Canada this last week, including
- lawyer for Wedding, Deepak Paradkar - adviised a hit on a witnesss to end a court case.
- Edwin Basora-Hernandez Canadian-Dominican reggaeton musician - provided witness’ contact information
- Gursewak Singh Bal - co-owner of website Dirty News, posted picture of witness and wife tp be found
- 4 more arrested
- 1 more on wanted list

Canadian Olympian-turned-alleged drug lord charged over witness killing | Globalnews.ca

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said a newly unsealed indictment accuses Ryan James Wedding of tracking down and posting photos online of the witness to facilitate his murder.

globalnews.ca

 

[sbrothy]

Hah, his lawyer advised him to murder him?! Where do they find these sleezebags?

 

[dlu]

Hah, his lawyer advised him to murder him?! Where do they find these sleezebags?

The accusation against this lawyer may not be exactly that as will be presented in court, if it ever does go to trial. There is a plan no doubt.

I think the justice method is to put a squeeze on the people associated with this cartel ( and others defending drug money ), serving notice that even legal defense of offenders will be highly scrutinized. Lawyers had best choose their clients wisely, as well as any representation provided as being moral and ethical. In any event, this lawyer is being removed from defending drug money for the time being.

The lawyer is not the sleezebag you think. He is a legit lawyer. But he made his riches off of the money associated with the defense of those charged with the sale and distribution of illegal drugs, arms,, and paraphernalia.

What makes him any different than the grower, the chemist, the runner, the middleman, the seller. All get a % cut from the kg of cocaine. The only difference is that the defense lawyer appears to be an outstanding successful citizen and gets to keep his liberty and riches living off of drug money. If found guilty ( of living of the proceeds of crime if Bondi is smart ) he may lose everything. Other lawyers take notice.
Up until 2017, Paradkar’s Instagram handle was "@cocaine_lawyer." A Toronto Sun story detailed some of the posts from his account around that time, like a shot of his yellow Lamborghini with the comment: "Cocaine pays lol!!!" as well as photos of police-seized drugs and guns with the caption, "100 kilos of K 4 kilos of cocaine, 5 guns, Uzi, glock — NOT GUILTY!"

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/deepak-paradkar-arrest-us-ryan-wedding-9.6985489

Why do I think i is an odd story?
A few lines down the site, one will see the picture of the RCMP commissioner speaking in the US alongside Bondi. The operation was FBI led operation, with arrests made in Canada and extradition to the US to follow. No mention of the suspects to be trial'ed in Canada, even though the crimes were committed on Canadian soil.

I see that:
1. Canada has been jerked by the US into a direction that cartels are bad business --> the token appearance of the RCMP. Thus other Canadian police agencies feel supported, even if not so under Trudeau Liberals for the last 10 years.
2. Some drug busts have made the mainstream news in Canada conditioning citizens that drug money is bad money.
3. The progression of Canada into a fully Narco State ( the progression as has been going on in the last 10 years ) may be blocked.
4. the two tiered justice system may be given a second look. So far it is mild within Canada ( less than that in the US in some places ) . Some of it is justified, some not. Going to the Conservative 'chain gang' route is probably not palatable to many as being just, but mean.

 

[dlu]

How Narco is Canada?
Lack of previous cooperation from the RCMP as per a US source involved in the investigation points to some higher up levels with their heads up their ass, or worse, on the take.
Liberal response under Trudeau to the assassinations and violence from this group ( and gang violence ) in Canada - invoke a law banning long arms, etc - ie virtual signaling that they are on it. CBC again on board boosting the Trudeau Liberal agenda of doing nothing.

‘Modern-Day Escobar’: U.S. Says Former Canadian Olympian Ran 60-Tonne-a-Year Cocaine Pipeline with Cartel Protection, Hit Squads and a Corrupt Toronto Lawyer

WASHINGTON — The U.S.

www.thebureau.news

As The Bureau previously reported, a senior U.S. source insisted there has been a troubling lack of RCMP collaboration in probing Wedding’s networks. Not only did the RCMP allegedly stonewall Drug Enforcement Administration requests six years ago to crack down on Canadian trucking routes tied to Wedding’s shipments through the United States, the source said, but there was also a lack of cooperation in targeting his violent cells inside Canada — where associates, competitors, and even an innocent Indo-Canadian family in Caledon, Ontario, mistakenly linked to a trucker from Wedding’s network, were brutally executed.

“We tried to work with RCMP on Wedding too, and they said, ‘No,’” a source aware of probes from three separate U.S. agencies said. “And it’s like — he’s killing Canadian citizens. He’s killed God knows how many. And you still don’t want to cooperate because of whatever grievance. But the RCMP threw up roadblocks. You’ve got to get past those things because Canadians are dying.”

PS: Last month, Piere Poilievre, Conservative leader labelled the RCMP was corrupt at the top level, particularly the DEI female appointment by Trudeau. ( commissioner during this ask by US officials ) , and got raked through and through by Mainstream new outlets, especially the CBC, with their Liberal guests as talking heads.
The average Canadian listening to mainstream media do not receive balanced reporting anymore, and have not for some time.. The reasons for this are varied. Independent outlets, such as above with a staff of one, are more investigative than a full newsroom. Go figure.

 

[dlu]

Great movie starring Nicolas Cage exploring the movement of the cargo . 2019
One can see that a lot of characters involved in getting the cargo from A to B are regular folk trying to make a living or some extra on the side.

Running with the Devil - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Worth a see as it mimics the Wedding story as Cage travels from S.America to Canada ensuring 'quality control'. The FBI sub plot is a bit strained .

 

[sbrothy]

Apropos my little story about the containers that are sometimes "lost" from Maersk's cargo ships... I actually just connected some suspicious dots....?

EDIT: Better put a smiley here or I'm probably going on some kinda list....