News

Dangerous, deadly drugs made in Mexican jungle are shipped to Boston

LAWRENCE, Mass. — Nearly every day, someone is losing a loved one to the opioid crisis. What many families of victims don't know, is that some of the drugs are being shipped here locally from Mexico.

Those drugs are easily getting across the border in an old-fashioned way.

Some of the most dangerous and deadly drugs are being made deep in this Mexican jungle.

"In the middle of this jungle appeared this homemade meth lab," said Brian Boyle, special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Local law enforcement braved temperatures soaring above 100 degrees to see this makeshift meth drug lab, controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel with their own eyes.

>>PREVIOUSLaw enforcement officials travel to Mexico, combat drug trafficking

"It’s a very dangerous area. When we landed, we took a Mexican military plane down," Boyle said.

With top leaders of the DEA, local and nationwide police chiefs took the trip.

"The workers lived in these tents. just next to where the meth is being produced," Boyle said.

One map shows Mexico with an arrow to Boston.

The DEA says the meth and other drugs that are being made in Sinaloa, Mexico are being shipped 3,000 miles away to our back yard. The DEA says at least 7 tons of meth are produced every three days.

Authorities say members of the drug cartel have been strategically smuggling it to the Boston area, right through the Mexican border.

"Lawrence, Mass., is a big area where there is a big Dominican population that is distributing it, working directly with the Mexican’s with the transportation routes," Boyle said.

Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque says he's aware of the drug problem here.

"Lawrence is a distribution point in the northeast area, and we recognize that, we've been working hard, and trying to drive it out," Vasque said.

These drugs are so dangerous workers are being rotated by the drug cartel.

"For the workers, they are allowed to work seven days, and that’s it. They have to get them out of there because of the chemicals and the poisons," Boyle said.

Boyle says the deadly drugs are being shipped here because the drug lords are making tens of millions of dollars from buyers in the Massachusetts area, and the drug lords are taking advantage of the opioid crisis.

"A kilo of heroin down there can be made for $500. It can be shipped here, and in Lawrence, it goes for $50,000," Boyle said.

Local leaders are making a vow to work hand-in-hand with Mexican officials to stop this rampant problem that is claiming the lives of people in our area.

"Anybody that can help us with the problem, we will work with and cooperate with, and appreciate their help," Vasque said.

The meth lab we showed you was busted well over a month ago.

Officials say they were tipped off about it after dozens of animals were found dead in the area, after inhaling the chemicals from the drug lab.

Correction: A previous version of the story misstated the value of a kilo of heroin in Lawrence. It is valued at around $50,000, not $50.