Most illegal fentanyl is manufactured in clandestine laboratories run by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) in Mexico. A growing number of labs have also been identified in Canada. It is not possible to provide specific street addresses of these labs due to their illicit nature, but reporting from government agencies in 2025 indicates the primary areas of operation.
Mexico
According to the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration's (DEA) 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment, Mexico
is the most significant source of illicit fentanyl affecting the United
States.
- Key players: The Sinaloa Cartel and the
Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are the dominant TCOs producing
fentanyl in Mexico.
- Method of production: These cartels
manufacture fentanyl in hidden labs using precursor chemicals and pill
presses sourced from China.
- Trafficking: The finished product is then trafficked across the U.S. land border, often concealed in passenger vehicles.
Canada
Recent reports have
highlighted Canada's escalating role in illicit fentanyl production and
trafficking.
- Key players: Mexican cartels are
increasingly operating fentanyl synthesis labs in Canada.
- Known hubs: "Super labs" have been identified in rural and dense areas of western Canada, some of which can produce dozens of pounds of fentanyl weekly.
Precursor chemicals
Companies in China remain the
primary source of precursor chemicals and equipment, such as pill presses, used
to manufacture illicit fentanyl in labs in Mexico. India has also been
identified as an emerging source for these chemicals.
The nature of illegal labs
Because these labs are clandestine, their exact locations are unknown to the public and are subject to constant change to avoid detection by law enforcement. The DEA and other agencies track fentanyl through its trafficking and seizure, not by mapping the locations of the labs themselves.
While precise locations of illegal fentanyl labs are impossible to track, intelligence from 2025 points to Mexico and Canada as the primary sites of illicit fentanyl manufacturing affecting the United States. China is identified as the main source of the precursor chemicals used in these labs.
Mexico
Transnational criminal
organizations (TCOs) in Mexico, primarily the Sinaloa and Jalisco New
Generation Cartels, are the most significant source of illicit fentanyl for the
U.S..
- Production: The TCOs manufacture
fentanyl in clandestine laboratories in Mexico using chemicals and pill
presses sourced from China.
- Locations: In December 2024, Mexican security forces seized a large fentanyl lab in a house in the city of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state.
Canada
Law enforcement in 2025 has
also noted the increasing operation of fentanyl synthesis labs in Canada by
Mexican cartels.
- Production: Labs are described as
"super labs" and are capable of producing significant weekly
quantities of fentanyl.
- Locations: Labs have been found in both dense urban areas and isolated rural parts of western Canada, as well as in provinces like Alberta and Ontario. They are often set up in rental properties to avoid asset forfeiture.
China
While China is no longer the
main source of finished fentanyl entering the U.S. directly,
it is the largest source for the precursor chemicals and equipment necessary to
produce the drug.
- Chemical supply chain: Chinese
manufacturers often market these chemicals online to criminal
organizations in Mexico and Canada.
- India as an emerging source: India is also emerging as another significant source of both finished fentanyl powder and precursor chemicals.
United States
While most illicit fentanyl is produced abroad, local law enforcement agencies, in partnership with the DEA, continue to bust smaller clandestine labs within the United States. In 2024, the DEA recorded incidents in states including California, Colorado, Illinois, and Indiana. These labs may be involved in pressing imported fentanyl powder into pills or processing raw materials.
https://www.google.com/search?q=where+are+the+fentanyl+labs+located+today+2025
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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