Claudia Sheinbaum Lashes Out Against Claims About Alleged Fentanyl Production, The New York Times Responds

The back-and-forth between The New York Times and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum continues, with the publication having the last word —for now— about their reporting on how fentanyl is produced in clandestine laboratories in Mexico.

The feud started when the American publication released an article on Dec 26 in which two NYT reporters and a photographer recounted their experience of visiting a fentanyl lab in the city center of Culiacán. In what looked like a makeshift lab, two cooks explained the production process and were photographed using normal pots and pans to cook the deathly drug.

But for President Sheinbaum, the article lacks veracity. In her first press conference of 2025, Sheinbaum continued with her critiques targeted towards the publication saying that the article contains information that "is not credible."

Before the end of 2024, she took a first dig at the article by saying that every day Mexican officials seize and destroy methamphetamine labs and indicated that the NYT's version about how fentanyl is produced lacked credibility.

"It is not very credible. Fentanyl is produced in different ways," she said.

After making that claim, Sheinbaum said the Mexican government would give scientific proof that the NYT's claims lack veracity, also referring to the pictures shared in the article.

"The photos are not credible, just for the fact of how harmful it is for the cook's own health to be producing the drugs as they show it," Sheinbaum added.

In order to support her claims, analytical chemist for the Navy Juana Peñaloza and Alejandro Svarch, director of Mexico's Social Security Institute, were brought out by Sheinbaum to analyze the information published by the newspaper.

Peñaloza said that there weren't enough indications in the article that clearly showed the chemical process in order to make fentanyl, while Svarch said the cooks wouldn't have lasted more than 30 seconds while producing fentanyl as the fumes would be too much for someone not wearing the correct equipment.

New York Times backs up its reporters

When Sheinbaum first rejected the article's claims on Dec. 30, the publication released a statement on its X social media account and said that they fully stand by the reporting.

But as criticism from Mexican officials extended into the new year, a second statement was released by the publication, saying they "continue to stand behind every aspect of our reporting on fentanyl production and testing," adding that the makeshift conditions of illicit fentanyl production are "well established."

The publication closed out the statement by saying that the role of independent journalism is "to document the world as it is, bringing the truth to light for audiences everywhere."