Guide to drug crimes? Americans, foreigners or Mexican residents of the United States commonly travel from California, Arizona or Texas to Mexico on a frequent basis, some of them every weekend, so customs has become an area where many arrests occur for commission of crimes related to drugs, and on the other hand the airport for those who travel from other countries and enter any city in the Mexican territory, for all of them we have created this simple guide to substances or drugs that are illegal in Mexico, remember , ignorance of the law does not exempt you from its compliance, so it is of the utmost importance that you read this article before deciding to enter Mexico.
First we will make the following clear:
- If in your country it is legal to possess that drug, it does not mean that it is also legal in Mexico
- The crime is updated if you forgot the drug in any possession of yours such as your suitcase or your backpack, so you must make sure you do not travel with any drugs.
- The crime is committed from the moment you are caught with the drug in your possession, either with a search by a trained dog, a police search or a spontaneous expression from you if they ask you if you have drugs with you.
- It does not matter if the drug is not yours, if they gave it to you to take care of or it belongs to a friend or relative of yours, if at the time you are surprised the drug was in your possession or radius of availability, it will be detained if it is found in some of the cases that I point out later.
Offices in Mexico
- Tijuana
- Mexicali
- Rosarito
- Tecate
- Ensenada
- Los Cabos
- Puerto Vallarta
- Monterrey
- Cancun
- Guadalajara
- Mexico city
- San Luis Rio Colorado
What is the personal consumption allowed in Mexico for drugs of regular consumption?
It is important that you know that possessing an amount greater than that indicated in this table is a crime.
That is, possessing an amount greater than that indicated in this table without the corresponding authorization or permit by the competent authority is a crime.
Accused a relative of a crime in Mexico? Do you need to know if it is a crime to bring weapons into Mexico? Do you need to know if it is a crime to bring marijuana into Mexico? The prosecutor is accusing me of having committed a crime that I did not commit? Has your loved one been in jail in Mexico for years?
If you are in one of these situations, hire an online consultation.
Remember: if you have a permit issued by the health authority of your country to possess larger amounts of drugs than those indicated above, it is not valid in Mexican territory, so avoid falling into this error.
What drugs are a crime in Mexico?
The following substances, vegetables, psychotropics and/or the following substances are considered a crime in Mexico.
- prepared opium
- diacetylmorphine or heroin, their salts or preparations
- papaver somniferum or opium poppy
- papaver bracteatum and erythroxilon novogratense or coca
- -)–aminopropiophenone
- mephedrone
- n,n-diethyltryptamine
- dl-2,5-dimethoxy–methylphenylethylamine
- 3-(1,2-dimethylethyl)-1-hydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6h dibenzo(b,d)pyran.
- n,n-dimethyltryptamine
- brolamfetamine
- d1-2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethyl–methylphenylethylamine.
- lsd, lsd-25
- 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
- tenamphetamine
- mescaline (peyote; lophophora williamsii anhalonium williams ii; anhalonium lewinii
- dl-5-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxy–methylphenylethylamine
- parahexyl
- eticcyclidine
- rocyclidine
- pma
- psilocin, psilocybin
- psilocybin
- 2-amino-1-(2,5dimethoxy-4-methyl)phenylpropane
- tenocyclidine
- synthetic cannabinoids
- dl-3,4,5-trimethoxy–methylphenylethylamine.
- 1,3-trifluoromethylpiperazine
- piperonal or heliotropin
- isosafrole
- safrole
- benzyl cyanide
- alpha-phenylacetoacetonitrile (apaan)
- amobarbital
- amphetamine
- butorphanol
- cyclobarbital
- dextroamphetamine (dexamphetamine)
- fenetylline
- phencyclidine
- pentobarbital
- mecloqualone
- methaqualone
- methamphetamine
- nalbuphine
- pentobarbital
- secobarbital.
- tetrahydrocannabinol,
- benzodiazepines
- barbituric acid (2, 4, 6 trihydroxy pyrimidine)
- alprazolam
- amoxapine
- bromazepam
- brotizolam
- camazepam
- clobazam
- clonazepam
- chloracepate
- dipotassium
- chlordiazepoxide
- clothiazepam
- cloxazolam
- clozapine
- delorazepam
- diazepam
- ephedrine
- ergometrine (ergonovine)
- ergotamine
- estazolam
- 1-phenyl-2-propanone
- phenylpropanolamine
- fludiazepam
- flunitrazepam
- flurazepam
- halazepam
- haloxazolam
- ketazolam
- ethyl loflazepate
- loprazolam
- lorazepam
- lormetazepam
- medazepam
- midazolam
- nimetazepam
- nitrazepam
- nordazepam
- oxazepam
- oxazolam
- pemoline
- pimozide
- pinazepam
- prazepam
- pseudoephedrine
- quazepam
- risperidone
- temazepam
- tetrazepam
- triazolam
- zipeprol
- zopiclone
- amfepramone (diethylpropion)
- carisoprodol
- clobenzorex (chlorpheniramine)
- etchlorvinol
- phendimetrazine
- fenproporex
- phentermine
- glutethimide
- chloral hydrate
- ketamine
- mefenorex
- meprobamate
- trihexyphenidyl
Now, now we are going to point out step by step the behaviors that constitute a crime in Mexico
drugs that can be consumed and possessed for personal use
Article 478 of the General Health Law establishes that possession for personal use will not be considered a crime, under some exceptions.
“Article 478.- The Public Prosecutor shall not exercise criminal action for the crime provided for in the previous article, against whoever is a drug addict or consumer and possesses any of the narcotics indicated in the table, in equal or less quantity than that provided in the itself, for its strict personal consumption and outside the places indicated in section II of article 475 of this Law”.
Exception to the rule: If you possess in Mexico in any of the places that I will establish below, possession will be a crime regardless of the amount destined for personal consumption.
Places where it is prohibited to possess drugs in Mexico.
- schools
- care,
- police or prison
list and quantities of drugs that can be consumed and possessed for personal consumption (possessing a quantity greater than that indicated will be considered a crime)
1.trade or supply any of the drugs indicated in the table above
Penalties: From 4 to 8 years
Ex officio pretrial detention is appropriate: Not applicable
Aggravating: That the person to whom it is traded or supplied is a minor or does not have the capacity to understand the fact or it is sold in educational, welfare, police or prison centers, that it is carried out by people in charge of combating these crimes such as doctors and use these situations to commit them (the penalty is aggravated from 7 to 15 years)
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: no
Explanation of the following concepts.
By supply is understood the material transmission, directly or indirectly, for any reason, of the possession of narcotics.
Commerce is the economic activity that consists of the transfer and exchange of goods and services between people or between other entities in the economy.
2.Possession for purposes of trade or supply of any of the drugs indicated in the table above
Penalties: From 3 to 6 years
Ex officio pretrial detention is appropriate: Not applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: yes, an agreement can be reached with the prosecution to terminate the case.
3.simple possession of any of the drugs indicated in the table above
Penalties: From 10 months to 3 years
Ex officio pretrial detention is appropriate: Not applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: yes, an agreement can be reached with the prosecution to terminate the case
4.Transportation of some of the drugs designated as substances that are criminal in Mexico
Penalties: From 10 to 25 years
Ex officio preventive detention is appropriate: If applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: no
Transportation should be understood as taking or moving the drug from one place to another, generally using a means of transportation.
5.trade, supply even for free or prescribe any of the drugs designated as substances that are criminal offenses in Mexico
Penalties: From 10 to 25 years
Ex officio preventive detention is appropriate: If applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: no
6.Introduce to Mexico some of the drugs designated as substances that are criminal in Mexico
Penalties: From 10 to 25 years
Ex officio preventive detention is appropriate: If applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: no
7.Possession of any of the drugs indicated as substances that are a crime in Mexico when it is for the purpose of trading, transporting, supplying or prescribing them.
Penalties: From 5 to 15 years
Ex officio preventive detention is appropriate: If applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: no
8.simple possession of any of the drugs designated as substances that are criminal offenses in Mexico
Penalties: From 4 to 7 years
Ex officio preventive detention is appropriate: If applicable
There is a possibility of reaching an agreement: no
This guide will help you to travel to Mexico calmly and not make mistakes that could lead you to lose your freedom.
The Mexican criminal process explained in English
