GOECHI seizes 344 vape devices and contraband in Chihuahua schools

The Grupo de Orientación Escolar Chihuahuense (GOECHI) of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) conducted 44 preventive interventions in secondary and high‑school institutions across Chihuahua, Camargo, Delicias, Meoqui and Saucillo. The operations, coordinated with AEI’s canine unit and the Comisión Estatal de los Derechos Humanos (CEDH), resulted in the seizure of 308 conventional vape pens, 36 cannabis‑wax vape pens (including two found in primary schools), about 300 g of marijuana, wax‑infused gummies, six electronic pens with wax cartridges, 20 hand‑made pipes, a gas cylinder, alcoholic drinks, energy drinks, and various over‑the‑counter and controlled medicines.

In addition, GOECHI secured 20 bladed weapons such as knives and cutters, 11 replica short guns, a pepper‑spray canister, four butane gas cans, 30 fireworks, and a slingshot. GOECHI spokesperson Rosa María Meléndez Segovia emphasized that these items are not academic tools and pose a risk to children, noting that “a slingshot or a toy gun may seem harmless, but they are often linked to criminal intent by minors.” The seized weapons are held by the AEI at the State Public Security Complex (C‑4), while the vape devices are destroyed under a health‑authority protocol.