Natalie Kitroweth

And to understand how these little pills end up in the hands of Americans every single day, I found it extremely important to see with my own eyes exactly how it's made step by step.

And to understand how these little pills end up in the hands of Americans every single day, I found it extremely important to see with my own eyes exactly how it's made step by step.

Yeah. I mean, it wasn't easy. These are, as you said, illegal labs. This is happening underground. This is clandestine. You know, how do you break into a network that is run by cartels, by powerful organizations that are responsible for death and destruction across the country?

Yeah. I mean, it wasn't easy. These are, as you said, illegal labs. This is happening underground. This is clandestine. You know, how do you break into a network that is run by cartels, by powerful organizations that are responsible for death and destruction across the country?

No, but I mean, you should. You have to if you want to understand this thing, right? And yes, there are risks, obviously, but there's no way to really get inside this business without seeing it for yourself. And so my colleague Paulina Villegas and I started making trips to Sinaloa. Sinaloa is a state in the northwest of Mexico.

No, but I mean, you should. You have to if you want to understand this thing, right? And yes, there are risks, obviously, but there's no way to really get inside this business without seeing it for yourself. And so my colleague Paulina Villegas and I started making trips to Sinaloa. Sinaloa is a state in the northwest of Mexico.

It is a major hub of global fentanyl production, and it's the home base of one of the most dangerous and powerful criminal organizations in the world, the Sinaloa cartel. We knew that we had to make inroads in this state in order to get into a lab because these are the guys that really dominate production, according to U.S. law enforcement. So we started to go there. We started reporting.

It is a major hub of global fentanyl production, and it's the home base of one of the most dangerous and powerful criminal organizations in the world, the Sinaloa cartel. We knew that we had to make inroads in this state in order to get into a lab because these are the guys that really dominate production, according to U.S. law enforcement. So we started to go there. We started reporting.

We made contacts within the cartel. We did interviews. We talked to leaders. We talked to cooks, meaning the people who actually make the fentanyl. And I mean, there were so many obstacles that kept preventing us from getting into a lab. We had an inroad here. It was shut down. An inroad there. It had just been busted. And then finally, in the middle of December, we got in.

We made contacts within the cartel. We did interviews. We talked to leaders. We talked to cooks, meaning the people who actually make the fentanyl. And I mean, there were so many obstacles that kept preventing us from getting into a lab. We had an inroad here. It was shut down. An inroad there. It had just been busted. And then finally, in the middle of December, we got in.

So the original plan was to go into this lab in the morning, but there was a problem. The cooks who were inviting us to see the process told us that they had just gotten busted. And so they needed to move locations and they were going to put a makeshift lab.

So the original plan was to go into this lab in the morning, but there was a problem. The cooks who were inviting us to see the process told us that they had just gotten busted. And so they needed to move locations and they were going to put a makeshift lab.

We didn't really know where at that point, but, you know, several hours later, then into the evening, we find out that it's going to be in the center of the capital city where we are, Kulia Khan. So we drive to this location, and it's a busy street. I mean, there's taco stands outside. People are walking around. It's not, you know, a deserted area in the middle of nowhere.

We didn't really know where at that point, but, you know, several hours later, then into the evening, we find out that it's going to be in the center of the capital city where we are, Kulia Khan. So we drive to this location, and it's a busy street. I mean, there's taco stands outside. People are walking around. It's not, you know, a deserted area in the middle of nowhere.

I mean, it looked like any other house. And as far as I could tell, all the people walking by had absolutely no idea that inside what looked like a normal house was an active fentanyl lab at that point. When we go in, it's pitch black, and we immediately smell a very, very intense smell. It's like a strong smell of chemicals.

I mean, it looked like any other house. And as far as I could tell, all the people walking by had absolutely no idea that inside what looked like a normal house was an active fentanyl lab at that point. When we go in, it's pitch black, and we immediately smell a very, very intense smell. It's like a strong smell of chemicals.

In our context that we're working with, say, this is the textbook smell of fentanyl. And at the end of this pitch black kind of hallway, we see two 20-something guys. They introduce themselves. They say we can bring in one phone and one camera. But we agree that we're not going to publish any recordings that have their voices on them or photos that might identify their faces.

In our context that we're working with, say, this is the textbook smell of fentanyl. And at the end of this pitch black kind of hallway, we see two 20-something guys. They introduce themselves. They say we can bring in one phone and one camera. But we agree that we're not going to publish any recordings that have their voices on them or photos that might identify their faces.

And we start getting suited up at this point. And what that means is we're putting on hazmat suits. We're putting on our gas masks. We put on gloves. We're preparing to come in contact with a very toxic substance. We walked down the hall with them and then we went in.

And we start getting suited up at this point. And what that means is we're putting on hazmat suits. We're putting on our gas masks. We put on gloves. We're preparing to come in contact with a very toxic substance. We walked down the hall with them and then we went in.