Why U.S. Airstrikes Are Failing to Stop the Global Cocaine Boom

BUENAVENTURA, Colombia—The Trump administration’s bombing campaign against cocaine-smuggling speedboats is starting to have an impact on the global drug trade—but not necessarily in a good way.

Thirteen months into the initiative, Colombian navy divers are detecting greater use of “parasites”—metal modules packed with cocaine that traffickers bolt onto the hulls of freighters preparing to steam out of this country’s largest Pacific port.

Deep in the Amazon, smugglers have shifted shipments east, hiding drugs on boats moving through the rain forest’s vast river network. And on Colombia’s long coast, crews evade U.S. military airstrikes by hugging the shoreline in the exact same speedboats the Americans are targeting.

Record supplies of cocaine still arrive in the U.S., Europe and as far away as Australia every day, cheaper and purer than they’ve been in decades, said law-enforcement officials across four continents.

President Trump has celebrated the airstrikes, noting his administration has “made tremendous strides in stopping the flow of illegal drugs into our country.” In the past 13 months, American military drones and aircraft have destroyed more than 70 vessels, killing nearly 240 crew members and depriving criminal groups of $1.5 billion in cocaine, according to U.S. officials.

“The drugs coming in by sea are down by 97%,” Trump said in June. “We’re trying to figure out who the 3% are, because they are the bravest people on earth.”

Yet scholars of the cocaine trade and U.S. officials familiar with the program say drug boats in large numbers still leave Colombia, which produces 70% of the world’s cocaine.

“The boats keep going. The Pacific is vast,” said Ervyn Norza, a former police investigator who researches the drug trade for...

““parasites”—metal modules packed with cocaine that traffickers bolt onto the hulls of freighters preparing to steam out of this country’s largest Pacific port.”

Wow, those bastards are clever.

I find it hard to believe these could be bolted onto hulls undetected. Wouldn’t they affect a ship’s fuel economy and be detected at sea? Or is the extra drag too small? And where do they get removed? Sounds like the cartels are paying lots of people to look the other way.

, Colombian navy divers are detecting greater use of “parasites”—metal modules packed with cocaine that traffickers bolt onto the hulls of freighters preparing to steam out of this country’s largest Pacific port.

sounds like detecting is being done. Won’t catch them all.

Remember the leftist TV panels wonder if some of the boats are piloted by ordinary fishermen out for a catch. Such bald faced lies should make us all laugh but some viewers actually wonder.

Headline:
Navy seized nearly 2 tons of cocaine — $172 million at street value — from boat in Caribbean Sea.
—August 23, 2023 Virginian Pilot news report.

and U.S. officials familiar with the program say drug boats in large numbers still leave Colombia

but are they getting there. Big implication in the above statement and others parts of the article are saying they aren’t.

Who you going to believe?

Trump said in June. “We’re trying to figure out who the 3% are, because they are the bravest people on earth.”

or put on the boats because their family is held hostage.

https://www.wsj.com/topics/place/colombia

Why U.S. Airstrikes Are Failing to Stop the Global Cocaine Boom
Smugglers are shifting routes and using new tactics to evade military targeting, resulting in record supplies and plunging prices.

By
Juan Forero
| Photography by Fernanda Pineda for WSJ
1 hour ago

Latin America

Latin American Allies Are Going All In on Trump’s Drug War
Regional security forces are bombing jungle encampments, capturing kingpins and killing couriers with Washington’s help.

By
Vera Bergengruen
and
Kejal Vyas
September 11, 2026

Cocaine needs to be legal for us older folk. I for one don’t do much. It doesn’t mean I’d do drugs every day but as a libertarian I’m waiting for that ultimate blue pill that will let me go out like Nelson Rockefeller did. I just think the government has an obligation to let me go out my own way. It’s not like an abortion and it’s better than what Canada offers.

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/CY2024%20Annual%20Cocaine%20Report%20PRB-2025-42%20Final.pdf

there is an official cocaine report from 2024. It is the unclassified report, meaning there is much we don’t know and neither does the media.

From CY 2020 – 2024, average purity of powder and rock-like cocaine exhibits increased each year. Correspondingly, the
percent of un-adulterated cocaine exhibits also increased.
......
CSP has identified Colombia as the primary source of cocaine
in the United States since 2000

In some articles it is saying supply is up and prices are down. But, price is also affected by demand, have they killed the market with all the deadly additives and are trying to increase demand with a better quality product and lower prices? classic marketing problem

If you want it bad enough you shouldn’t have any problem getting what you want.

I worked with prison ministry for awhile. Most didn’t change their lives. One guy didn’t like the other one so he convinced the drug dealer to spike the seconds guys drugs and he died of a heart attack. The problem was the first guy talked about it and he died of a heart attack also.

I would think the recent dramatic shift towards right-wing governments in Central and South America would put a damper on cocaine production, since the narco-terrorist drug cartels tended to be coddled by leftist governments.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.