U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting Drug Enforcement Administration chief Robert Murphy warned that Mexican cartels are flooding the United States with methamphetamine-laced counterfeit pills intended to hook young users, particularly college students. Bondi said the cartels, now formally designated as terrorist organizations by Washington, “will be pursued as violent criminals” along with anyone assisting them. Murphy disclosed that the DEA has already seized about 70,000 pounds of methamphetamine in the first half of 2025, nearly matching the total haul for all of last year. The agency projects that seizures could double the 2024 figure by year-end, underscoring what Murphy called a “huge focus” by cartels on pill production, which disguises meth as medications such as Adderall. Recent operations illustrate the scale of the problem. Agents in South Carolina confiscated 71 kilos of fentanyl and 20 kilos of meth, while an undocumented migrant was arrested with 700 pounds of meth hidden in a trailer during “Operation Take Back America.” Murphy said Mexican syndicates control “100%” of the meth supply chain—from production to U.S. distribution—prompting federal authorities to step up enforcement and public-awareness efforts.