The United States has warned that Mexican drug cartels are increasingly targeting Nigeria as a potential manufacturing base for methamphetamine and an alternative route for trafficking synthetic drugs to international markets.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for Africa and the Middle East, Michael Gonzales, gave the warning on Tuesday, October 20, during a visit to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) headquarters in Abuja.
Gonzales’ remarks followed the dismantling of four clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Nigeria this year, which authorities linked to Mexican criminal networks. He commended the NDLEA for its intelligence-led investigations and cooperation with other agencies, describing the operations as important in disrupting international drug supply chains.
He said increased pressure on cartels in the Western Hemisphere was forcing them to seek alternative trafficking routes through Africa to reach markets in Europe, Asia and the United States. He likened the situation to “squeezing a balloon,” explaining that criminal groups were adapting their operations in response to enforcement efforts.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said investigations into the laboratories pointed to what he described as a deliberate attempt to establish Nigeria as a major methamphetamine manufacturing hub. He said the facilities were designed to supply international markets rather than Nigerian consumers alone.
Marwa cited the discovery of a large clandestine laboratory in a forest in Ijebu East, Ogun State, where three Mexican nationals and Nigerian suspects were arrested. He said the recovered substances were valued at more than $360 million on the international market.
He added that subsequent operations uncovered other industrial-scale laboratories in Oyo, Enugu and Ebonyi states, highlighting the growing concern over transnational drug production networks operating within the country.
The NDLEA chairman also warned of the links between illicit drug trafficking, arms dealing and terrorism, stressing the need for stronger international cooperation. He urged the United States to maintain or increase its support for the agency, particularly in forensic analysis, investigations, professional training and the detection of financial crimes.
According to Marwa, the NDLEA arrested 96,157 drug offenders, including 250 individuals described as drug barons, seized more than 15.8 million kilogrammes of illicit substances and secured 16,691 convictions over the past five years.
Both officials emphasised that continued cooperation between Nigeria and the United States would be critical to disrupting international drug networks and preventing the country from becoming a major centre for synthetic drug production and trafficking.
