The Mexican Department of Defense has reported the seizure of a large batch of narcotic drugs, including two tons of methamphetamine and 7.8 tons of marijuana, in the US border town of Tijuana, Baja California.
“The value of the seized is estimated at 743.1 million pesos (about $ 34 million – ed.), which represents a serious damage to the activities of criminal groups”, – a communiqué on the Ministry’s website says.
Among the seized substances there were also 87 kilograms of cocaine and more than 130 thousand tablets of the most dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Tijuana is one of the most criminal cities in Mexico, almost 2.2 thousand murders were recorded here last year. In the 2000s, the high level of violence in Tijuana was explained by the struggle of groups for drug smuggling routes, while now conflicts are taking place around street sales outlets.
According to InSight Crime analysts, about 10 thousand intravenous drug users live in the city, and the region is experiencing a “methamphetamine crisis” – in recent years, an average of 300 people have been detained here for possession of drugs, mainly methamphetamine, per month.