Overview

• Directors of chemical laboratories from across Mexico convened on August 22 at FGR’s La Muralla training center in Querétaro for a workshop organized with the U.S. Embassy’s INL office.
• The program aims to establish a national standard for identifying fentanyl and other narcotics and to harmonize field screening and laboratory analysis.
• Officials said standardized forensic practices will improve the reliability and admissibility of evidence and bolster investigations and prosecutions in both countries.
• Participants included SEDENA, SEMAR, the National Customs Agency, and 18 state prosecutors alongside U.S. justice and security counterparts.
• UN data show most U.S. fentanyl seizures in 2022–2024 originated in Mexico and totaled 19.5 tonnes in 2023, while U.S. agencies report 2024 signs of lower purity and fewer pill seizures linked to reduced precursor access in Mexico.