Those chaps above aren’t wearing face masks because they’re conscientious, and want to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to those around them.

They’re actually cooking fentanyl along Mexico’s Pacific Coast, concocting a potent combination that has led to a huge surge in overdose numbers across America.

Fentanyl, made entirely from chemicals smuggled in via fishing boats, is more powerful than heroin, and then transported across the border via orchestrated ocean drops.

VICE News gained access to a Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl trafficking operation for a few days last year, offering a rare look at the various steps in the production and distribution networks that bring in huge sums of money for the criminal enterprise.

Sure, Breaking Bad was a great watch, but this is the real world and it’s all a bit terrifying:

[source:vice]