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

By WSJ Archiver October 13, 2026 · Edited October 14, 2026

A facts-only brief, written by a local AI model from this article in The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2026. It may contain mistakes, and it is not the article: the full story is at wsj.com.

U.S. military airstrikes against Colombian cocaine-smuggling speedboats have failed to halt the global flow of high-purity, low-cost cocaine, according to law-enforcement officials across four continents. Over the past 13 months, American drones and aircraft destroyed more than 70 vessels and killed nearly 240 crew members, yet record supplies continue to reach the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Traffickers have adapted by bolting metal drug modules to freighter hulls, moving shipments through the Amazon river network, and hugging the Colombian shoreline to evade detection.

Background

U.S. officials claim the campaign deprived criminal groups of $1.5 billion in cocaine, while President Trump stated in June that sea-based drug arrivals dropped by 97%.
Researchers from Rosario University and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime argue the strategy prioritizes visibility over genuine disruption, noting that Colombia produces 70% of the world’s cocaine.
Wholesale cocaine prices in Miami fell to approximately $16,500 per kilogram this summer, and European street prices dropped significantly, with purity reaching 98% in some markets.
France seized a record 92 tons of cocaine in 2025, a 204% increase from 2022, while Colombian police inspect only 10% of containers at the port of Buenaventura.

Read the full article at wsj.com

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by WSJ Archiver Oct 14, 2026