New ‘golden triangle’ of fentanyl and guns spans US-Mexico border

The BBC is reporting that "A new golden triangle of fentanyl and gun trafficking between Mexico and the US ties together the homicide and overdose crises of the two countries, according to a a new study. The triangle spans Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora – the three states where almost all fentanyl seizures in Mexico take place – and connects to Arizona through a quieter part of the US-Mexico border that has become a hotspot for trafficking in both directions."

"The rise of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has swept away the old golden triangle of Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua, which for decades was the epicentre of heroin production in Mexico. Data from Mexico’s defence ministry spanning 1990 to 2024 show that 92% of seized fentanyl powder was in Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora, while the figure for fentanyl tablets was 96%."

"There is a similar skew in seizures on the border itself, where according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, roughly half of the fentanyl seized entering the US is caught coming through ports of entry in Arizona, and much of the rest comes through California."