The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended another suspected Mexican drug kingpin and dismantled a large-scale methamphetamine laboratory in Ebonyi State.
The suspect, identified as Mexican national Arturo Carrera Loaiza, was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while allegedly attempting to flee Nigeria.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), during a press briefing in Lagos. Marwa, represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, explained that the arrest followed months of investigation into a transnational drug syndicate responsible for operating several clandestine methamphetamine labs across the country.
He recalled that on May 16, 2026, NDLEA operatives had earlier arrested three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians at a forest hideout in Ogun State. Additionally, on June 17, the agency apprehended another Mexican national and four Nigerians at a secret meth lab in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State.
According to Marwa, the agency’s Special Operations Unit discovered that a 56-year-old Mexican, Jose Villa Ochoa—arrested at the Oyo lab—had allegedly been recruited into Nigeria by Loaiza. International cooperation enabled investigators to obtain a photograph of Loaiza, which Ochoa reportedly identified as the individual who brought him to Nigeria.
Marwa added that intelligence indicated Loaiza entered Nigeria on June 10, 2026, with another Mexican national, Jose Ceballos Perez. On August 19, NDLEA operatives located and arrested Loaiza at Lagos airport as he attempted to leave the country.
During questioning, Loaiza claimed he was in Nigeria for a restaurant business and denied involvement in meth production. However, investigators found photographs of him in a laboratory coat amid methamphetamine production equipment. Analysis of the photo metadata led them to a property under construction in Isiata Ugoni Okposi, Ebonyi State.
A subsequent raid on August 30 uncovered suspicious structures, strong chemical odours, and other evidence of illegal drug manufacture. Forensic review of CCTV footage from the site allegedly showed Loaiza and a Nigerian suspect, John Samuel Ivo Okike, moving chemicals and equipment.
Further intelligence led to another house, where additional chemicals and meth lab equipment were seized. Items recovered included acetone, toluene, hydrochloric acid, ethanol, P2B, tartaric acid, condensing units, custom reaction pots, weighing scales, gas burners, and a laboratory coat allegedly linked to the suspects.
Marwa stated that evidence from CCTV, forensic analysis, and witness accounts had strengthened the case against those involved in the network. He emphasized that Nigeria would not serve as a haven for transnational drug cartels. “The arrest of Arturo Carrera Loaiza and the dismantling of the Ebonyi facility, following similar operations in Ogun and Oyo, show that the agency’s intelligence and forensic capabilities can counter these syndicates,” he said.
Marwa commended officers from the Special Operations Unit, Strike Force, Forensics Department, and the Ogun, Oyo, and Ebonyi State Commands for their roles in the operations. He added that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other members, financiers, and collaborators allegedly connected to the syndicate.
