U.S. Maritime Drug War Fails to Curb Smuggling While Increasing Casualties

The United States continues to execute lethal attacks in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, targeting alleged drug smuggling boats in an effort to stop the distribution of illegal narcotics. These military actions are significantly impacting Colombian fishermen, who rely on access to offshore fishing sites for their livelihood. Since the U.S. began this campaign, 126 people have been killed, leaving fishermen uncertain and afraid to go out to sea.

President Trump reports that these attacks have been effective in derailing drug smugglers, allegedly stopping 97% of illegal drugs coming into the US by water. The data shows a different story with a nearly 34% increase in border seizures of cocaine. These numbers suggest smugglers are continuing to bring in drugs and adapting their path of entry into the U.S.

Ben Stechschulte, a Florida Board-Certified criminal trial lawyer, has experience defending those accused of drug smuggling. NPR interviewed the founder and lead attorney of StechLaw Criminal Defense to get an opinion on whether the US attacks have any real impact on drug trafficking. "I don't think it has any deterrent effect," he said of the U.S. bombing campaign. "The drug cartels understand it's the cost of doing business."

Ben Stechschulte went on to explain that when traffickers lose a boat, they simply replace it and establish a new route to entry. Adam Isacson, a defense and security expert at the Washington Office on Latin America, shared similar views, emphasizing that most drug boats unload in South America, where the drugs are then transported into the US by land. The Washington Office on Latin America provides analysis on regional security issues at https://www.wola.org.

President Trump has not expressed any intention of ceasing military bombing attacks on the water, despite the disruption to the fishing industry and increasing fatality counts. The continuation of this strategy raises questions about its effectiveness given the documented increase in cocaine seizures at land borders, suggesting traffickers have successfully shifted their transportation methods rather than reducing their operations.

The human cost extends beyond the 126 confirmed deaths, creating economic hardship for Colombian fishing communities who face dangerous conditions and restricted access to traditional fishing grounds. This maritime campaign represents a significant escalation in drug interdiction efforts but appears to be achieving limited results in actually reducing the flow of narcotics into the United States while creating collateral damage in regional communities.