MIAMI (AP) — President Donald Trump has asserted that the U.S. military strikes on boats suspected of drug smuggling represent a necessary shift from an ineffective decades-long policy of maritime interdiction. We’ve been doing that for 30 years, and it’s been totally ineffective, Trump stated, just as the Coast Guard announced record cocaine seizures of 225 metric tons in the preceding year.
Despite this milestone, Trump’s administration has destroyed 20 suspected drug trafficking boats—leading to around 80 reported deaths—claiming that these boats serve narco-terrorists involved in trafficking deadly drugs to the U.S.
However, this aggressive strategy has drawn significant backlash from human rights groups, legislators from both parties, and foreign leaders who express concern over the potential for extrajudicial killings that damage America's international reputation.
Veterans of the drug war argue that, rather than escalating military action, resources would be better utilized by strengthening traditional interdiction efforts. They contend that the crew members of these drug boats often hold valuable intelligence that could help dismantle trafficking organizations, emphasizing that dead men tell no tales.
The U.S. Coast Guard has operated for decades to intercept vessels smuggling narcotics, particularly cocaine from Colombia. With support from various federal agencies, their objective is to inflict heavy losses on traffickers and reduce drug inflow into the U.S. Their latest cocaine seizure has exceeded the past decade's annual average by almost 40%.
In April, just as military operations intensified, the Coast Guard cutter James returned from a patrol with 20 tons of cocaine valued at over $500 million, demonstrating that effective counter-narcotics strategies can still yield significant results without the risks associated with military action.
Critics also highlight that Trump's claims linking military actions to the prevention of fentanyl overdoses are misleading, as experts assert that fentanyl is largely trafficked overland from Mexico—not through maritime routes addressed by these strikes.
U.S. officials note that cocaine shipments primarily travel from South America to the U.S. via a complex route involving Central America and Mexico. Despite significant efforts, the Coast Guard estimates that it intercepts less than 10% of these shipments. And with growing demand and low cocaine prices, traffickers account for the loss of some shipments as a part of their business model, limiting the long-term deterrence effects of military strikes.
The increasing inter-agency focus on drug violence highlights a critical need for reevaluation of policy. While the strikes may garner immediate political points, the operational sustainability, efficiency, and ethical considerations surrounding them prompt a call for a return to a more traditional approach of interdiction and intelligence gathering.
