SEATTLE, Wash. -- Federal agents are seizing more methamphetamine than they have in at least 12 years, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's Northwest field office.
Agents seized almost 400 pounds of meth so far this year. That's compared to 388 pounds last year, 269 pounds in 2013, and 170 pounds in 2012.
The DEA calculates seizures using a fiscal year ending in the fall.
The meth entering Western Washington is produced and smuggled in by Mexican drug cartels, said Doug James, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's Seattle office.
Cartels became opportunistic after U.S. law enforcement cracked down on domestic meth labs. A decade ago, it was common for people to make meth in kitchens and garages with chemicals from the hardware store.
The increase in meth seizures accompanies an increase in babies born with meth addiction.
The Pediatric Interim Care Center in Kent is treating seven babies with meth addiction.
"I was stunned," said Barb Drennen, the center's executive director.
Last year, they treated 48 meth babies, compared to 23 babies in 2013 and 13 babies in 2012.
