Natalie Kitroweth

And I realize that we're in what's a really basic kitchen. I mean, there's not a lot of advanced equipment here. I'm watching the fumes come off two pots that are on a regular kitchen stove. They have two pots on the stove that, you know, are being heated with liquid. They have trays with chemicals on them. They have jugs with powder in them. But apart from that, there isn't that much to it.

And I realize that we're in what's a really basic kitchen. I mean, there's not a lot of advanced equipment here. I'm watching the fumes come off two pots that are on a regular kitchen stove. They have two pots on the stove that, you know, are being heated with liquid. They have trays with chemicals on them. They have jugs with powder in them. But apart from that, there isn't that much to it.

It looks like any other kitchen.

It looks like any other kitchen.

They have beers that they're clearly drinking while they do this. At one point, one of the cooks asks the other one for this essential chemical ingredient, and the guy turns around to the food pantry and pulls out a jug of it that's just next to hot sauce and other stuff that you might actually use to make food.

They have beers that they're clearly drinking while they do this. At one point, one of the cooks asks the other one for this essential chemical ingredient, and the guy turns around to the food pantry and pulls out a jug of it that's just next to hot sauce and other stuff that you might actually use to make food.

And they're handling this blue powder that is close to what would be pressed into a pill. And you can just see the blue seeping in. This is the kind of pill you see on American streets, these baby blue fentanyl pills. They start showing me, like, look, we dye it blue if the client wants it blue. So it was just remarkable how commonplace all of this seemed to them.

And they're handling this blue powder that is close to what would be pressed into a pill. And you can just see the blue seeping in. This is the kind of pill you see on American streets, these baby blue fentanyl pills. They start showing me, like, look, we dye it blue if the client wants it blue. So it was just remarkable how commonplace all of this seemed to them.

I think the main takeaway that I had leaving the lab was this is a drug that is extraordinarily easy to produce in almost any conditions. And once you get the product, the amount that you need to make a lot of money if you're the cartel or if you're a user to potentially kill you is tiny. I mean, the U.S.

I think the main takeaway that I had leaving the lab was this is a drug that is extraordinarily easy to produce in almost any conditions. And once you get the product, the amount that you need to make a lot of money if you're the cartel or if you're a user to potentially kill you is tiny. I mean, the U.S.

government says that people who have not been exposed to fentanyl could be killed by the amount that fits on the tip of of a pencil. And in this kitchen, in this makeshift lab, I had just seen that tip of the pencil thousands of times over.

government says that people who have not been exposed to fentanyl could be killed by the amount that fits on the tip of of a pencil. And in this kitchen, in this makeshift lab, I had just seen that tip of the pencil thousands of times over.

Yeah, I mean, Michael, obviously you could theoretically make fentanyl in Texas, but the conditions are not as good as they are in Mexico. There's an entire infrastructure that really supports this. The Sinaloa cartel, the cartel that is, according to the U.S. government, responsible for bringing much of the fentanyl on American streets across the border. Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean, Michael, obviously you could theoretically make fentanyl in Texas, but the conditions are not as good as they are in Mexico. There's an entire infrastructure that really supports this. The Sinaloa cartel, the cartel that is, according to the U.S. government, responsible for bringing much of the fentanyl on American streets across the border. Mm-hmm.

They have years worth of experience in industrialized drug production. They've done this with a ton of different products, including meth, which is another synthetic drug. So they have experience in making drugs out of chemicals. They also have a lot of experience corrupting the Mexican government.

They have years worth of experience in industrialized drug production. They've done this with a ton of different products, including meth, which is another synthetic drug. So they have experience in making drugs out of chemicals. They also have a lot of experience corrupting the Mexican government.

The last time there was a major crackdown on drug cartels, the security chief that led that crackdown ended up being convicted in an American court for taking bribes from the Sinaloa cartel. So this is an incredibly powerful, experienced organization that has the wherewithal and the resources to do this. And the Mexican government has not been effective at stamping that out.

The last time there was a major crackdown on drug cartels, the security chief that led that crackdown ended up being convicted in an American court for taking bribes from the Sinaloa cartel. So this is an incredibly powerful, experienced organization that has the wherewithal and the resources to do this. And the Mexican government has not been effective at stamping that out.

Right. I mean, and this has been an open question in Mexico and in the United States for years. Is it capacity? Is it ability? Or is it willingness, as you say? And it's kind of difficult to know because it hasn't been happening and it's hard to disentangle the reasons why. But at the time that I'm visiting this lab, the U.S. is preparing to inaugurate Donald Trump.

Right. I mean, and this has been an open question in Mexico and in the United States for years. Is it capacity? Is it ability? Or is it willingness, as you say? And it's kind of difficult to know because it hasn't been happening and it's hard to disentangle the reasons why. But at the time that I'm visiting this lab, the U.S. is preparing to inaugurate Donald Trump.