Three Mexicans and seven Nigerians were arrested in May 2024 and charged with operating an illicit methamphetamine laboratory in Nigeria — the raid was part of what the NDLEA described as the country’s largest-ever meth bust, uncovering more than two tonnes of the drug.

Methamphetamine Production Shifts to Africa

The laboratory was found in a remote forest area, with a pungent smell of chemicals and unprocessed methamphetamine, as the NDLEA moved a federal high court to the location to inspect the site, emphasizing the scale of the operation. The agency said it had dismantled a ‘highly sophisticated, multi-million-dollar Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine production syndicate.’

Law enforcement agencies report that Mexican specialists, often called ‘cooks,’ are increasingly working alongside locals in Europe and Africa; this trend has led to the discovery of Mexican-linked meth labs in Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa.

Cartels Expanding Global Operations

James Griego of US-Africa Command (Africom) stated that Mexican meth is considered the ‘best in the world’ due to its high purity and potency, he noted that since 2023, 14 Mexican-operated labs have been raided across Africa, with five discovered in Nigeria in 2025 alone.

Africom and the US Drug Enforcement Administration have linked some of these labs to Mexico’s two largest cartels: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New General Cartel. General Dagvin Anderson. The commander of Africom. Testified to the US Congress in May 2025 that African terror groups are increasingly financed by drug cartels, expanding their reach and lethality.

West Africa’s Attractive Factors

West Africa’s vast forests provide ideal secluded production sites for illicit labs. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi noted that the region’s large youth population offers cheap labor and a growing local market for drug consumption. A 2018 survey found that 14.4% of Nigeria’s adult population had used an illicit drug, more than twice the global average.

Methamphetamine production in Africa allows traffickers to access Atlantic shipping routes and reach lucrative markets in Asia and Europe. The UNODC reported a 47% increase in meth use in Europe between 2014 and 2024, while seizures in East and Southeast Asia reached record highs in 2024.

Babafemi said Mexican cartels are viewing West Africa as a ‘corporate production hub.’ He added that increased scrutiny of traditional trafficking routes from Latin America may be prompting cartels to diversify their operations. However, Griego noted that Mexican cartels have operated in Africa since the 1990s and have always been global organizations.

The NDLEA is working to counter the growing methamphetamine trade through increased surveillance and intelligence. The Nigerian authorities are determined to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for drug syndicates, as demonstrated by the unusual court hearing held at the lab site.