Cartels turn to the water for smuggling efforts as US ramps up pressure
SAN DIEGO (SOA) — In a bold operation on the high seas, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball intercepted a smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific, seizing illegal drugs valued at $214 million. The drugs, bound for the United States, were part of a cartel operation that has adapted its tactics in response to increased border security measures.
"As we block up the border, they start using the water," said former President Donald Trump, highlighting the shift in cartel strategies. Tom Homan, the border czar, noted, "They're taken to maritime more, or whether it's San Diego or Florida... We're hurting them." The Trump administration has also approved military action, striking at least three suspected drug boats with precision strikes in open water. The move has invited debate into the legality of the move, while the administration insists it's within its rights to keep deadly drugs out of the U.S.
Chief Petty Officer Miguel Carreno of the Maritime Safety and Security Team San Francisco explained the approach during interdictions: "Weapon is drawn for safety, not to harm." He emphasized the importance of treating every suspect as a high-value asset, stating, "It doesn't matter who it is or what it is. If they're smuggling running drugs, they're running people. It's not safe for our, our public."
The seized smugglers and drugs were transported to San Diego for further questioning and testing by the Coast Guard's partners. Many of the narcotics end up at the Drug Enforcement Administration's Southwest Laboratory, where they undergo advanced analysis. The DEA has raised alarms about the rise of carfentanil, a substance "one hundred times more potent than fentanyl," according to Lab Director James Malone. "Even a tiny, miniscule amount that you can barely see on the tip of a pen is enough to kill somebody," Malone said.
Malone explained that cartels frequently disguise carfentanil to resemble real prescription pills, constantly evolving their methods to maximize profits. "In this case, they're really playing with the dosage amount to see how they can market their product and try something new, and the user is really the person who will pay the price of that," he said.
The DEA's efforts extend beyond the laboratory, as they work with federal prosecutors to dismantle trafficking networks and engage in community outreach programs. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joe Hathaway from the DEA San Diego Division emphasized the importance of education, saying, "You can't trust a pill that a friend gives you." He attributed a reduction in overdose deaths to these outreach efforts, noting, "I think a lot of that success that we're seeing as far in the reduction of, uh, of the poisoning deaths and overdoses here can be attributed to these outreach efforts."
Provisional CDC data projects annual overdose deaths in the U.S. to reach their lowest level since 2019, with just over 80,000 deaths estimated in 2024, a decrease of almost 27 percent from 2023. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl, psychostimulants including meth, and cocaine remain the leading drugs associated with these deaths.
