A report by the US State Department has revealed that a Mexican cartel operated a meth lab in Kenya in 2024.
As detailed in the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released in March 2025, it was noted that the operations of the lab in Namanga were stopped following a police operation in September 2024.
The report documented that the lab was linked to the Mexican Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and was operating on a large scale.
"A major accomplishment in 2024 was the multiagency seizure of a large-scale methamphetamine production lab in Namanga, Kenya in September.
"The lab was linked to the Mexican Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and was the first confirmed large-scale operation by a Mexican cartel operating in Kenya," read the report in part.
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Equally, the US State Department also documented that a member of the Mexican cartel was arrested in October 2024 - a month after the raid on the Namanga meth lab.
"On October 4, 2024, based on information passed from the United States, Kenyan officials arrested a CJNG member trying
to depart Kenya for Mexico," read the report in part.
Meanwhile, the US noted that Kenya had made some strides in fidgeting drug usage, however, corruption was noted to be a major stumbling block in the efforts.
"Drug trafficking continues to be one of the drivers of corruption in Kenya. Despite a stringent anti-narcotics and anti-corruption legal regime, prosecution and conviction rates remain significantly low.
"Political will to fight corruption also remains a challenge," the US State Department wrote.
Meth is one of the drugs that is used worldwide and is common in countries such as the US.
Some of the effects of the drug include aggressiveness, psychosis and memory loss. Usage can also lead to cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
