Top U.S. Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration officials said Wednesday that recent American air and missile strikes on suspected cartel smuggling boats are delivering results, even as traffickers continue to move large loads of cocaine toward the United States.
Adm. Nathan Moore, who oversees Coast Guard Atlantic operations, spoke as the service offloaded nearly 50,000 pounds of seized cocaine at Port Everglades, the largest haul ever recovered by a single cutter during one deployment.
Moore said the increase in seizures shows trafficking activity has not slowed, but he rejected criticism that the strikes are ineffective.
He added that the Coast Guard has seen no significant changes in drug routes, pace or purity, but credited improved intelligence, upgraded cutters and new autonomous surveillance tools for the surge in interdictions.
"It's a cat-and-mouse game," Moore said. "We have success in one area, they shift tactics … and then we shift to counter that."
DEA Administrator Terry Cole told CBS News that the air strikes are raising costs for traffickers across the Caribbean and Central America.
"You're starting to see the rise in the price of cocaine," Cole said.
"Cocaine is getting more expensive. And I think what it is — not only more expensive in the U.S., but we're seeing it become more expensive at first stops,” he continued.
“So more expensive in Puerto Rico, more expensive in the Dominican [Republic], more expensive once it lands in Guatemala and Honduras and Central America."
Cole said wholesale cocaine prices have climbed 30% to 45% per kilogram and that cartels now face higher expenses for boat captains, engines, and long-range vessels.
He went on to say that the United States is applying what he described as immense pressure on trafficking networks. He also dismissed concerns that the strikes have strained cooperation with allies, saying intelligence sharing remains strong.
"We'll continue to keep immense pressure on every trafficking route," Cole said.
”We're going to apply every single tool to stop the narcotics from coming into the United States and killing American citizens,” he added. “And I think the strategy of an all-hands approach — the military, intel — it's making a difference."
The stepped-up operations come as President Donald Trump has increased military activity in the Caribbean while pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the administration accuses of overseeing drug trafficking operations.
Cole and Moore said they expect drug seizures to continue rising. The Coast Guard intercepted 231,000 kilograms of cocaine in fiscal 2025, the highest total on record.
Moore said the strategy of pushing operations far offshore is keeping large shipments from reaching U.S. shores. Cole said Americans are demanding tougher action as drug deaths continue nationwide.
Both officials insisted that air strikes and maritime interdictions remain essential tools in the effort to disrupt cartel operations.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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