Officials: Coca plant discovery a 1st for Mexico

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico (AP) — The seizure of 1,639 coca plants in southern Mexico marks the first known instance of the raw ingredient for cocaine being cultivated in the country, Mexican and U.N. officials said Wednesday.

Mexico is home to various drug cartels that traffic large quantities of cocaine toward the United States, but coca itself is typically grown in the Andean region. The find raised concerns that it could be a test of the viability of reducing dependence on South American suppliers.