NDLEA Arrests Mexican Kingpin and Dismantles Meth Lab

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested six suspects, including two Mexican nationals, in a significant drug bust. The agency dismantled an industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory in Ebonyi state and apprehended Mexican drug kingpin Arturo Carrera Loaiza at Lagos airport on August 19, 2026, as he attempted to leave Nigeria.

This operation was the result of months of investigation into a transnational drug network that allegedly recruited foreign methamphetamine experts to set up clandestine labs in Nigeria. NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, stated that this development showcases the agency's enhanced capability to tackle sophisticated international drug syndicates.

The investigation also led to the arrest of another Mexican expert, Jose Villa Ochoa, and four Nigerian collaborators on June 17, 2026, in Oyo state. Ochoa identified Loaiza as his recruiter, and intelligence revealed Loaiza entered Nigeria on June 10, 2026, with another Mexican national, Jose Ceballos Perez.