TIER 2
Cartel Drug Lab Raid
Leaked footage shows Everglades-style drug lab assault. Boat or airboat approach. Loot kilos for fence-conversion to GTA$.
The Job
Per the verified 2022 leak, this one reads as a medium-weight smuggling job, not a vault score. Leak footage shows an Everglades-style assault on a cartel processing lab deep in the Grassrivers backcountry, reached by boat or airboat. You hit the lab, loot kilos, and fence-convert the product to GTA$ after the fact, which is why the payout swings wide: your take depends on how much product you carry out, not a fixed safe. The leak puts police response at 3 stars plus cartel reinforcements, so this is a two-front fight, the law from outside and the cartel on-site. Inference: the dual loud/stealth approach matters here. Stealth delays the cartel alarm and keeps the 3-star clock from starting early, while loud turns it into a sustained firefight where your gunner and a boat exfil route are everything. Reward scales with risk in the usual way: more time on-site means more kilos but more reinforcements. The water-only approach is the real constraint, your escape is a boat, not a getaway car.
The wide GTA$60k-250k estimate fits a loot-based smuggling job where take scales with how many kilos you fence rather than a fixed safe. Medium size and a 3-star-plus-cartel response justify the upper end; these are estimates, not confirmed figures.
$250k
Max Payout
10-15
min
3
Crew Roles
2
Approaches
Details
- Type
- smuggling
- Location
- Grassrivers Everglades
- Size
- medium
- Approaches
- loud, stealth
- Crew Roles
- driver, gunner, tech
- Police Response
- 3 stars + cartel reinforcements
- Estimated Time
- 10-15 min
- Trailer
- n/a (leak only)
- Confidence
- TIER 2 — Verified 2022 leak
Operator Tips
- Approach by boat or airboat per the leak; there is no road exfil, so scout your water route out before you trigger anything.
- Run the stealth approach to delay cartel reinforcements and avoid starting the 3-star clock early; switch to loud only once you are committed.
- Bring the full crew the record lists: driver for the boat exfil, gunner for the cartel/police firefight, tech for the lab itself.
- Budget for a two-front fight, 3 stars of police plus cartel reinforcements, so prioritize a fast loot-and-leave over clearing the whole lab.
- It is a 10-15 min job and payout scales with kilos carried; inference, decide upfront whether to grab and run or push deeper for more product.
FAQ
How much does the Cartel Drug Lab Raid pay?
Estimated GTA$60,000 to 250,000. It is loot-based, you fence the kilos you carry out, so your take depends on how much product you grab. Treat these as pre-release estimates, not confirmed numbers.
What crew do I need?
The leak record lists three roles: a driver for the boat or airboat exfil, a gunner for the cartel reinforcements and 3-star police, and a tech for the lab. A full three-person crew is the intended setup.
Can I do it stealth or solo?
The record confirms both loud and stealth approaches. Stealth helps delay cartel reinforcements and the 3-star response. Solo is not described in the leak; with three listed roles and a two-front fight, going alone would be inference-level risky.
Calculate your take
Use the Heist Payout Calculator to estimate your share for Cartel Drug Lab Raid based on approach, crew skill, and difficulty.
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Heist data sourced from Trailer 1, Trailer 2, and verified 2022 Teapotuberhacker leak. Payouts re-verified after 19 November 2026 release. Independent fan content. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Grand Theft Auto, GTA, and related logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software.