The United States has praised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its recent successes in dismantling methamphetamine laboratories linked to Mexican drug cartels, as its Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), called for continued and increased support from the US government.

The commendation came on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, during a visit by Michael Gonzales, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) for Africa and the Middle East, to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. He was received by Marwa and members of the NDLEA management team.

Gonzales, who assumed office four months ago, explained that Nigeria was his first choice for an official visit because of its economic influence in Africa and the NDLEA’s record of achievement in combating drug trafficking.

He praised the agency’s operational effectiveness and its collaboration with domestic and international partners, noting that the four methamphetamine laboratory discoveries recorded in Nigeria this year demonstrated strong intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, coordinated investigations and effective prosecution.

According to him, drug trafficking remains a major international security concern because its effects are felt directly by communities and families across national boundaries. He stressed that the collaboration between the US and Nigeria was delivering important benefits to both countries.

Gonzales also highlighted more than four decades of INL’s international cooperation, which has supported Nigeria through professional training and equipment. He observed that increased pressure on drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere could redirect trafficking routes towards Africa, with Europe and Oceania also serving as potential destinations.

He further warned about the growing prevalence of synthetic drugs, which can be more difficult to detect and more dangerous than traditional plant-based substances. He called for a coordinated response targeting criminal networks, including their financial operations.

Responding, Marwa described the partnership between the NDLEA, the INL and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a strategic investment in the security of both countries.

He explained that drug trafficking, illegal arms trade and terrorism financing were interconnected, warning that proceeds from narcotics trafficking could fund weapons purchases and strengthen armed groups. He added that criminal activities in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin posed threats beyond those regions.

Marwa cited several major operations against suspected Mexican cartel-linked methamphetamine production networks in Nigeria. He said NDLEA operatives uncovered what he described as the country’s largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a forest in Ijebu East, Ogun State, arresting three Mexican meth experts and their Nigerian collaborators. The operation reportedly led to the recovery of illicit substances valued at more than $360 million.

He added that another large-scale laboratory was raided at Tapa Village in neighbouring Oyo State about four weeks later, resulting in the arrest of a Mexican methamphetamine expert and four Nigerian associates. Similar facilities were subsequently dismantled in Enugu and Ebonyi states.

According to Marwa, the discoveries point to an attempt by international drug cartels to establish Nigeria as a production and distribution base for methamphetamine destined for markets across Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States.

He argued that dismantling these laboratories and arresting suspected cartel operatives could disrupt international supply chains and prevent dangerous drugs from reaching communities abroad, including those in the US.

The NDLEA chairman also outlined the impact of international assistance on the agency’s operations, particularly in forensic and chemical analysis, professional training, financial investigations and equipment maintenance.

He disclosed that, over the past five years, the agency had arrested 96,157 drug offenders, including 250 drug barons, seized more than 15.8 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and secured 16,691 convictions involving drug traffickers.

Marwa warned that reducing American assistance could create gaps that transnational criminal networks and terrorist organisations might exploit. He therefore urged Gonzales to convey to Washington the need to sustain existing INL support and consider increasing it.

He concluded by emphasising that drug traffickers, arms dealers and terrorist groups operate across international borders, making continued cooperation between governments essential to disrupting their activities.

Femi Babafemi Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja Tuesday, October 20, 2026