US EditionTrump Says Stopping Suspected Drug Boats Doesn't Work. But the US Reports Record Cocaine Seizures
The U.S. Coast Guard seized a record 225 metric tons of cocaine last year amid military strikes on smuggling boats, while under 10% of shipments are intercepted, officials say.
- U.S. Coast Guard announced a record seizure of 25,000 kilograms of cocaine over the previous year, linked by President Donald Trump on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, to a tougher drug-war approach.
- The U.S. Coast Guard has interdicted small vessels for decades with the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force-South, and partner nations, continuing Operation Pacific Viper last month with major seizures and prosecutions without loss of life.
- The haul included 38 tons offloaded by the cutter Hamilton and 20 tons valued at more than $500 million by the cutter James, recently promoted by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
- U.S. military strikes have targeted roughly 20 suspected drug vessels, causing 80 deaths including four men identified by the Associated Press, and sparking international pushback over alleged extrajudicial killings.
- At most, interdictions seize not even 10% of cocaine moving through the Transit Zone while traffickers expect a 5% shipment loss; demand remains high, prices are at historical lows, and just under 20,000 cocaine overdose deaths occurred last year.
75 Articles
75 Articles
WH’s Anna Kelly to Newsmax: Trump Has ‘Authority’ to Stop Drug Shipments
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Newsmax that no one should question President Donald Trump's decision to order military strikes to stop illegal drug shipments from reaching America. Kelly told National Report on Monday, "As commander in chief of our country, he absolutely has the authority to stop narco terrorists from trying to kill Americans with these illicit narcotics." Kelly said Democrats even used that nonissue to try t…
In justifying U.S. military attacks on ships suspected of trafficking drugs, President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. strategy of intercepting such vessels at sea, which has been maintained for a long time, has been a huge failure “We have been doing it for 30 years,” he said last month, “and it has been totally ineffective.” Trump’s comments came almost at the same time as the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it had set a record cocaine seizu…
Murphy Calls Trump Strikes on Venezuelan Drug Boats 'Wildly Illegal'
Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said President Donald Trump's military campaign against Venezuela was "wildly illegal." The post Murphy Calls Trump Strikes on Venezuelan Drug Boats ‘Wildly Illegal’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Los Angeles Times
By justifying U.S. military attacks on vessels suspected of drug trafficking, President Donald Trump has claimed that the U.S. strategy of intercepting such vessels on the high seas—a long-standing one—has been a resounding failure.
NEW: Coast Guard Reports Record Cocaine Seizures Since Trump Took Office
The U.S. Coast Guard announced that it has seized records amounts of cocaine over the previous year, highlighting the ongoing drug crisis in the country. President Donald Trump pointed to the report in justifying his administration’s decision to launch precision strikes on drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and other coastlines along Latin America, arguing that traditional seizures are not enough. Specific year-to-date figures for 2025 coca…
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