Natalie Kitroweth

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.

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.