Secret Compartments and Cartel Lookouts: How Fentanyl Reaches the U.S.

The New York Times ^ | Aug. 9, 2025 | Paulina Villegas and Maria Abi-Habib Visuals by Adriana Zehbrauskas

[E. Pluribus Unum]

New York Times reporters documented how fentanyl was concealed by Mexico’s most powerful criminal syndicate, which is adapting in the face of a crackdown by two governments.

The fentanyl packer moved with precision, his headlamp casting a sharp glow on the swift work of his gloved hands.

Hoodless carcasses of old vehicles sat gutted under a pitch-black sky. Car jacks, coils and greasy rags littered the ground.

The man sprayed six aluminum-wrapped packets with a liquid that smelled like chlorine, a compound that he said would help disguise fentanyl from search dogs. Underneath the foil, the deadly drug was wrapped in carbon paper to try to avoid basic methods of X-ray detection, he said.

The 58-year-old man, a mechanic by day and drug packer by night, had been working for the Sinaloa Cartel for over 20 years, fixing and loading cars with cocaine, meth and now fentanyl.

In all of that time, he said, his job has never been as dangerous as now. “Hopefully this is my last gig,” he said.

The cartel, which as one of the world’s most formidable drug syndicates had once seemed immune to challengers, has been pushed into survival mode. President Trump has vowed to crush the fentanyl trade — directing the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain cartels that his administration considers terrorist organizations.

Mexico, pushed hard by Mr. Trump, has launched its own aggressive crackdown, deploying hundreds of troops to combat the Sinaloa Cartel, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. While under intense pressure from both governments, the cartel has also been plagued by infighting.

But even in that weakened state, the cartel continues to adapt. Its smugglers are shifting to smaller loads, devising creative methods and adjusting in real time to changing threats — showing how...

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS:

[Carry_Okie]

Fentanyl is so concentrated I just don’t see how border security can interdict bulk transportation of it. Probably the most effective options are treating the customer base and arresting internal distribution.

[SpaceBar]

Singapore got this one right.

[NEMDF]

There are (at least) 2 programs on, regularly and currently. They show border patrol and customs officers and agents, “on the job”. Some are foreign countries, many are USA. They show both crossings at borders and customs enforcement in airports and sea ports. One is on National Geographic channel. I think it is “To Catch a Smuggler”, and one is “Contraband - Seized at the Border” on the Discovery channel. These are fascinating, IMO, as to the techniques used by smugglers as well as those used trying to keep out fentanyl and other drugs, etc. For the most part, I have been impressed by the security personnel in these jobs, working on our behalf.

[Lurker]

Anyone caught smuggling this crap should have it rammed up their backside on site.

L

[shanover]

Death sentence for drug dealers should be law.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

No, just turn them loose. Right after they swallow every bit of any drugs in their possession.

[spintreebob]

All of the above.

But definitely the end user numbers need to be reduced....
How to do it constitutionally is the question.

We tried prohibition with mixed success.
Should we try it again?

[frank ballenger]

After I think Chicago PD and FBI shows I looked this up.
One on tv had the trap only open if something like the engine on and the driver’s door opened. Otherwise clammed up.

Behind the dashboard or within the engine compartment, notes eJusticeNY - NYS Integrated Justice Portal (.gov).
Behind or underneath car seats.
Within the center console or glove compartment.
Inside door panels.
Within the spare tire well or modified tires.
Altered Vehicle Components:
Modified fuel tanks: Creating hidden spaces within the tank, according to Grace Legal Group.
Altered body panels: Cutting into the frame or other body parts to install compartments.
False floors or ceilings: Especially common in larger vehicles like trucks or vans.
Sophisticated Hidden Compartments:
These can be powered by electronic or pneumatic motors and triggered by activating a complex series of switches, such as turn signals, power windows, or the defroster, says the FBI.
Access to these compartments may be through false bottoms or removable panels that blend seamlessly with the car’s interior.
Some hidden compartments can only be accessed through the wheel.
They may also be activated by specific radio stations, horn honks, or brake settings.
Some even use hydraulics to open the compartments.

[CodeToad]

We should invade Mexico since they will not stop it we should stop by any force necessary.

[Track9]

My bet is it comes in a lot easier under politically connected cover. Mena airport for example.

[Carry_Okie]

We tried prohibition with mixed success.
Should we try it again?

We empowered the mob with prohibition and they've been with us ever since. Thought about it a long time and still don't have good answers beyond education, treatment, and stronger families, none of which are Federal powers. A death penalty for interstate trafficking might help.

[RitchieAprile]

Rayos X