Natalie Kitroweth

And he pretty quickly makes it very clear that he thinks he knows why.

And he pretty quickly makes it very clear that he thinks he knows why.

It's that Mexico just doesn't want to do enough, that there's not enough progress being made, that the country is absolutely dominated by this drug. And he's saying the government absolutely needs to do more or there will be consequences.

It's that Mexico just doesn't want to do enough, that there's not enough progress being made, that the country is absolutely dominated by this drug. And he's saying the government absolutely needs to do more or there will be consequences.

Exactly. And as soon as he finally takes office, I'm not happy with Mexico. He just starts lobbing attack after attack on Mexico. And he's really turning the heat up.

Exactly. And as soon as he finally takes office, I'm not happy with Mexico. He just starts lobbing attack after attack on Mexico. And he's really turning the heat up.

There's this threat in the air about a potential for U.S. military forces to do targeted strikes on drug labs and cartels in Mexico. Eventually, the administration officially designates the cartels as terrorist organizations. And most importantly... I'll be...

There's this threat in the air about a potential for U.S. military forces to do targeted strikes on drug labs and cartels in Mexico. Eventually, the administration officially designates the cartels as terrorist organizations. And most importantly... I'll be...

Trump says he's going to impose massive, devastating tariffs on Mexico unless they get this problem under control.

Trump says he's going to impose massive, devastating tariffs on Mexico unless they get this problem under control.

I mean, honestly, Michael, I was deeply skeptical. I had been going to Sinaloa for months. Based on everything I'd seen, this organization, this criminal group was just so entrenched in so many aspects of daily life. And it's really hard to imagine making a serious impact on a production operation that requires so little that can just be restarted from one moment to the next.

I mean, honestly, Michael, I was deeply skeptical. I had been going to Sinaloa for months. Based on everything I'd seen, this organization, this criminal group was just so entrenched in so many aspects of daily life. And it's really hard to imagine making a serious impact on a production operation that requires so little that can just be restarted from one moment to the next.

in a place that is dominated by one of the most powerful criminal organizations on the planet. But even though I was really skeptical, I wanted to go back into a lab to see whether all of these threats, whether all of the pressure that Trump had put on Mexico had led to real changes, whether any of this actually made a difference.

in a place that is dominated by one of the most powerful criminal organizations on the planet. But even though I was really skeptical, I wanted to go back into a lab to see whether all of these threats, whether all of the pressure that Trump had put on Mexico had led to real changes, whether any of this actually made a difference.

It was really remarkable. The dynamics, it seemed, had completely changed from the last time we were there. I mean, this was still a very dangerous place. There was a lot of violence. But when we started talking to our cartel contacts, they told us there was basically no production of fentanyl happening in the city. It had totally plummeted. Fallen off a cliff. I mean...

It was really remarkable. The dynamics, it seemed, had completely changed from the last time we were there. I mean, this was still a very dangerous place. There was a lot of violence. But when we started talking to our cartel contacts, they told us there was basically no production of fentanyl happening in the city. It had totally plummeted. Fallen off a cliff. I mean...

They acknowledged that production was happening elsewhere in the country. It's not like fentanyl stopped being made in Mexico writ large. But here, things had slowed to a near halt. We met the two cooks who had invited us into their labs. They said, no, we shut everything down. There is such an intense crackdown by the government right now, and we're under so much scrutiny and pressure that

They acknowledged that production was happening elsewhere in the country. It's not like fentanyl stopped being made in Mexico writ large. But here, things had slowed to a near halt. We met the two cooks who had invited us into their labs. They said, no, we shut everything down. There is such an intense crackdown by the government right now, and we're under so much scrutiny and pressure that

that we're not cooking anything. We didn't meet them inside a lab. They met us at our hotel room, and they said, we're not doing anything right now. We're actually firing employees. We're saving money. We're trying to sell our cars and other property to try to make up for lost income because nothing is going on here. There is no lab for you to visit this time around.

that we're not cooking anything. We didn't meet them inside a lab. They met us at our hotel room, and they said, we're not doing anything right now. We're actually firing employees. We're saving money. We're trying to sell our cars and other property to try to make up for lost income because nothing is going on here. There is no lab for you to visit this time around.