The drug laboratory that smelled like a problem (and toxic chemicals)
Imagine this: you are in your quiet town in Hidalgo, enjoying the fresh mountain air, when suddenly… BAM! A smell that seems like a mix of high school chemistry and existential failure invades your nose. That’s how it all started. The residents of San Pedro Tlachichilco, tired of breathing what seemed like Walter White’s perfume, decided to notify the authorities. And, oh surprise, it was not a handmade soap factory.
In an operation that combined federal, state and municipal forces (yes, even the police officer who normally sleeps in his patrol car was encouraged), they managed to find a drug laboratory hidden in the most intricate part of the forest. To get there, they had to navigate terrain so complicated that even the Google Maps guides gave up. It took them two days to get there, which makes us wonder: wasn’t there a shortcut or are drug traffickers also fans of extreme hiking?
The loot: from chemicals to stolen vehicles (because crime does not rest)
When they finally arrived, they found a film set worthy of Breaking Bad: nine tents (because nothing says “clandestine laboratory” like camping in the mountains), three 50-liter pewter pots (to cook methamphetamine and, incidentally, a giant pozole), 600 meters of hose (were they irrigating drugs?) and 16 plastic water tanks. Come on, even drug traffickers recycle.
But the best thing was the finished product: 6.6 kilos of granulated methamphetamine (enough for a party… or to ruin several lives) and 120 liters of the liquid version (in case someone wanted to get high and hydrated at the same time). In addition, they seized five stolen vehicles (because organized crime also needs transportation), an assault rifle (for those particularly stressful days) and two tactical vests (which, let’s be honest, were probably from AliExpress).
And like in any good raid, there were detainees: two subjects, one alias “El Pochongo” (yes, like soda) and another with a criminal record (because originality is not the forte of organized crime). Although they were from Hidalgo, the modus operandi and the chemicals had a Sinaloa seal, because even in drug trafficking there are franchises.
Moral? If you smell something strange in the forest, it’s not a new Calvin Klein perfume. Better call the authorities before your neighborhood becomes the new Albuquerque.
Are you surprised by the creativity of drug traffickers? Share this note and discover more stories that show that reality is stranger than fiction. #NarcoNews
