Natalie Kitroweth

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.

And we saw firsthand the crackdown that they were so afraid of. at one point we're driving down the street and these police trucks pull up these guys just start spilling out of them and they're scaling the walls of this house suddenly they're on the roof all right we're literally watching a raid on a house go down we just

And we saw firsthand the crackdown that they were so afraid of. at one point we're driving down the street and these police trucks pull up these guys just start spilling out of them and they're scaling the walls of this house suddenly they're on the roof all right we're literally watching a raid on a house go down we just

It's very clear to us that something is going down.

It's very clear to us that something is going down.

And this kind of scene was playing out all over the city. This is just like an area that we've been hanging out in this whole time.

And this kind of scene was playing out all over the city. This is just like an area that we've been hanging out in this whole time.

While we were there, the Mexican government arrested two major players within the cartel. So there was a lot of activity. At one point, we go to meet with a higher-level cartel member who, when we get to him, he said he'd heard about the raid that we ran up on, and he is... genuinely shaking. His hands... Physically shaking. His hands are trembling in front of us.

While we were there, the Mexican government arrested two major players within the cartel. So there was a lot of activity. At one point, we go to meet with a higher-level cartel member who, when we get to him, he said he'd heard about the raid that we ran up on, and he is... genuinely shaking. His hands... Physically shaking. His hands are trembling in front of us.

And he said, the only option for me right now is survival. No, we're not cooking. No, we're not making fentanyl. That is shut down right now. It may be temporary. We are moving labs. We're doing this elsewhere. But right now I am on lockdown here. I am not leaving my house. I have lookouts everywhere and I can't even be here. He cut the meeting short. He basically ran out. He was so scared.

And he said, the only option for me right now is survival. No, we're not cooking. No, we're not making fentanyl. That is shut down right now. It may be temporary. We are moving labs. We're doing this elsewhere. But right now I am on lockdown here. I am not leaving my house. I have lookouts everywhere and I can't even be here. He cut the meeting short. He basically ran out. He was so scared.