How Mexican drug cartels have outsourced meth labs to Nigeria
West Africa is becoming increasingly attractive to those who want to make and export illicit drugs.
Mexican drug cartels have begun outsourcing methamphetamine production to Nigeria, with anti-narcotics officers recently inspecting a suspected illegal drug laboratory in a dense forested area of western Nigeria.
In an unusual move for Nigeria's judicial system, a federal high court hearing was held inside an alleged illicit drug laboratory, located a two-hour drive from Lagos, rather than in a traditional courtroom. Justice Musa Kakaki presided over the hearing, where three Mexicans and seven Nigerians were presented in handcuffs. They are accused of producing methamphetamine, also known as meth, crystal meth, or locally, ice.
The makeshift laboratory was filled with a bitter, pungent smell from a large drum of crystallizing liquid meth and open vats of a dark, viscous liquid described as "crude" or unprocessed methamphetamine. Propane gas cylinders and bags of caustic soda were also found scattered in the unfinished building.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) stated that this unprecedented court location was necessary to comprehend the scale of the operation. In May, the agency announced what it described as the country's largest-ever meth bust, discovering over two tonnes of the drug valued at approximately $360 million (£270 million). The NDLEA declared it had "dealt another crippling blow" and dismantled "a highly sophisticated, multi-million-dollar Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine production syndicate."
The following month, another meth laboratory was discovered in a forest in neighboring Oyo State, leading to the arrest of five suspects, including a Mexican "methamphetamine expert."
These raids highlight Africa's, particularly West Africa's, increasing role in the global synthetic drug trade. Criminal cartels are now using the continent not just as a trafficking hub but also as a production base. Law enforcement agencies report a growing trend of Mexican "cooks," specialists in methamphetamine manufacturing, working alongside locals in laboratories across Europe and Africa.
James Griego, who leads counter-narcotics operations for US-Africa Command (Africom), told the BBC that meth production has become highly sophisticated, resulting in "the highest purity, the highest potency version of meth." Africom, which oversees US military operations in Africa, has provided intelligence to national anti-drug organizations for these raids. Griego added that "Anybody who is looking to consume methamphetamine, understands that the Mexican meth is the best in the world."
The NDLEA first reported discovering a Mexican-linked methamphetamine lab in 2016, labeling it a "super lab." Since then, similar laboratories involving Mexican workers have been found in Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa. Griego noted that since 2023, "we've seen…14 Mexican-operated labs in total [being raided]," with four of the five labs raided this year being in Nigeria.
Intelligence from Africom and the US Drug Enforcement Administration has linked some of these laboratories to Mexico's two largest drug cartels: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New General Cartel. Africom commander Gen Dagvin Anderson testified to the US Congress in May, alleging that "African-based terror groups are financed to an increasing degree by drug cartels, expanding those terror groups' reach and lethality."
Unlike plant-based drugs such as cocaine or heroin, synthetic drugs like meth can be produced anywhere with the right chemicals and expertise, allowing organized crime groups to rapidly scale up production. Methamphetamine is known for its fast and long-lasting euphoric high, but it carries severe health risks, including cardiovascular problems, malnourishment, and blood-borne diseases if injected. Withdrawal symptoms are also intense, involving anxiety, severe depression, fatigue, and intense cravings. As traffickers establish new distribution networks beyond traditional routes, more people are being exposed to the drug.
West Africa offers several advantages to Mexican syndicates, including vast forested areas suitable for secluded production sites. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi told the BBC that the region's large youth population is also attractive, providing cheap labor and a potential market for local consumption. Authorities fear a rise in methamphetamine consumption in Nigeria, where a 2018 survey indicated that 14.4% of the adult population had used an illicit drug, more than double the global average estimated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The drug's use has spread across Africa, becoming widely available in East African countries like Kenya and Tanzania, and in Southern Africa, where it is known as "tik" in South Africa. Drug syndicates are interested in both international and growing local markets, and Africa's geographical location facilitates access to Asia and Europe.
Producing drugs in West Africa provides traffickers with access to Atlantic shipping routes. Combined with the region's porous borders and weaker regulation of chemical imports, this helps them reduce costs to lucrative consumer markets. The UNODC reported a 47% increase in methamphetamine use in Europe between 2014 and 2024, while seizures in East and Southeast Asia reached a record high in 2024. Griego stated that this strategy shortens their supply lines into Asia and Europe.
US President Donald Trump's intensified efforts against Latin American drug cartels since returning to office in 2025 may be contributing to this shift. Babafemi noted that these cartels "are feeling the pressure from other parts of the world" and are therefore "looking at West Africa as a corporate production hub." Some experts believe tighter scrutiny of traditional trafficking routes from Latin America is a factor driving cartels to diversify operations. Griego added that while this is "part of the calculus," Sinaloa and New Jalisco have always been global organizations operating in Africa since the 1990s.
The recent increase in raids on illicit methamphetamine laboratories in Africa suggests that cartels are becoming more entrenched on the continent. It is clear that the drug trade is no longer merely transiting through Africa but is establishing new manufacturing sites and markets. Nigerian authorities are determined to address this challenge through measures like the court hearing at the laboratory, increased surveillance, and intelligence use.
"It's definitely a concern but it helps us stay vigilant and be proactive. This is why we are able to get them before they're able to move out into our communities and into the international market," said NDLEA spokesperson Babafemi. "We've been able to prove that Nigeria won't be a safe haven for them."