Operation TKO was a 2003 probe conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As a result of Operation TKO, U.S. and Mexican authorities shut down, which was the biggest producer of ketamine in Mexico producing almost 80–90% of the Ketamine found in the United States. This was also the most successful crackdown ever on performance-enhancing drugs. The original goal of the operation was to cut off the supply of ketamine but it led to stopping the production of illegal steroids.,[1][2]
Subsequently, Ernesto Chevreuil Bravo, 43, a Tijuana veterinary pharmacy owner According to the DEA, over 80% of Ketamine seized in the U.S. is of Mexican origin. The World Health Organization Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, in its thirty third report, recommended research into its recreational use/misuse due to growing concerns about its rising popularity in Europe, Asia and North America. This due in part to its prevention of depression.[3]