Meth Lab Dismantled in Tlapacoya, Puebla

By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

Authorities found a synthetic drug lab in the municipality of Tlapacoya, Puebla this week. The find is extremely uncommon in the state of Puebla, with the large majority of labs being found in rural regions of Sinaloa and Durango states.

Last weekend, Mexican federal and state security forces dismantled a clandestine laboratory used to produce methamphetamine in the Sierra Norte region of Puebla state. Authorities also seized more than a ton of narcotics and significant quantities of chemical precursors.

Synthetic drug production is exceedingly rare in central Mexico. Most drug labs are found in the states of Sinaloa, Jalisco, Michoacán, and, Durango, in remote rural regions far from government attention. It is possible that this lab was created out of necessity by a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, as their own labs have been disrupted due to internal fighting in western Mexico.

An Earlier Drug Lab Bust in Puebla

In January 2025, Mexican federal authorities dismantled a Sinaloa Cartel-linked cell operating methamphetamine production facilities in Puebla and Tlaxcala states. Fourteen were arrested.