U.S. Operation Against Drug Cartels Has Not Reduced the Flow of Cocaine Into the Country — The Washington Post
The U.S. military operation “Southern Spear,” launched to combat drug cartels, failed to achieve its main objective—the volume of cocaine entering the United States did not decrease. Moreover, according to estimates by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the amount of the drug on the U.S. market may even have increased.
This was reported by The Washington Post, whose journalists reviewed a previously unpublished assessment by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and materials from a closed-door briefing for the U.S. Congress. According to the publication, over the past year, the U.S. military has attacked at least 67 vessels that, according to authorities, were transporting drugs. Since September 2025, at least 221 people have been killed as a result of these operations.
However, despite the large-scale operations, they have had no impact on either the supply of cocaine or its price on the U.S. market.
The latest analysis of seized cocaine revealed a high purity level, which experts say indicates stable supply. In Florida, the price of one kilogram of cocaine is currently about half what it was five years ago. A senior DEA official noted that there may now be even more cocaine circulating in the U.S. than before the operation began.
These findings contradict statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the campaign’s effectiveness. In April, he claimed that 98.2% of the drugs entering the U.S. by sea had been intercepted.
According to DEA analysts, in the first two months after the start of the raids—which disrupted established smuggling routes—cocaine prices did indeed rise temporarily. However, the drug cartels quickly adapted to the new conditions.
In particular, smugglers began to use speedboats and international waters less frequently. Instead, they switched to larger vessels operating closer to the coast, where the military is less likely to open fire. In addition, criminal groups have begun to make more active use of aircraft to transport drugs.
The DEA notes that this change in tactics significantly complicates the use of traditional methods for detecting and investigating drug trafficking routes that U.S. law enforcement agencies have relied on until now.
Source: The Washington Post.
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