MIAMI (AP) — President Donald Trump has recently characterized decades of U.S. drug interdiction at sea as a failure, prompting a new military approach involving strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking. According to Trump, We’ve been doing that for 30 years, and it’s been totally ineffective.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced a record-setting cocaine seizure of 225 metric tons last year, yet this success has not swayed Trump's administration from shifting policy dramatically. Since taking office, Trump's military has executed operations that have led to the destruction of 20 suspected drug-carrying vessels and the deaths of approximately 80 individuals in the Pacific and Caribbean regions.
Officials assert that these boats are operated by cartel members and narco-terrorists attempting to bring dangerous drugs into the United States. However, this aggressive military approach has sparked considerable backlash from international leaders, civil rights advocates, and even some members of Congress, questioning the legality and morality of these extrajudicial actions.
The Debate Over Effective Strategies
Longtime experts in drug enforcement argue that traditional interdiction tactics are still the most fruitful. They highlight that targeted military strikes are not only exorbitantly expensive but also potentially hinder valuable intelligence gathering from real drug traffickers, who provide crucial information about cartel operations.
High Seas Drug War Continues
The Coast Guard's historic record of drug seizures illustrates their crucial role in combating the war on drugs. This effort includes closely coordinated operations with federal agencies and international partners to disrupt cocaine shipments from Colombia.
Despite boasting substantial successes, including a 40% increase in cocaine seizures compared to the previous decade, resources remain inadequate for exploiting these victories maximally. Many reports indicate that as little as 10% of cocaine entering the U.S. is effectively interdicted, with rampant demand and supply stretching the enforcement capability thin.
Transforming the approach to drug interdiction, some officials, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, argue that mere interceptions will no longer suffice, with traffickers expecting to lose a fraction of their shipments and continuing operations accordingly. Any strategy aimed solely at vessel strikes fails to adequately address the broader issues of drug demand in the U.S.
Questionable Claims on Fentanyl Interdiction
Contrary to Trump's assertions that military strikes target drug shipments carrying lethal substances like fentanyl, experts clarify that these synthetic drugs are more commonly trafficked overland from Mexico. Cocaine's significant presence as a substance linked to overdose deaths markedly differs from that of fentanyl, which drives a much higher fatality rate.
Experts also drew attention to the identities of those aboard targeted vessels, noting that many involved are low-income individuals working as fishermen or laborers, representing a class far removed from the drug kingpins implied by the administration.
In the lead-up to military operations, notable government figures heralded substantial cocaine seizures as evidence of successful strategies, with metrics of cocaine confiscated underscoring efforts to curb narcotics. The shifting dynamic of U.S. drug policy thus reflects a stormy interplay of strategies yielding little consensus on efficacy or ethics in the ongoing war on drugs.
