DEA Report: US Cocaine Raids Fail, Traffickers Pivot to Europe

A secret DEA report viewed by the Washington Post says military raids ordered by the United States against vessels suspected of drug trafficking have not reduced the amount of cocaine entering the country. The report found no impact on supply or price, and noted that traffickers are diversifying routes, using larger ships in coastal waters and increasing air transport from clandestine airstrips along the Colombia‑Venezuela border to Guyana and Suriname. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the operation, called Southern Spear, while White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly dismissed the report’s conclusions.

The shift in tactics has led to a surge in shipments toward Europe. Irish officials say Ireland has become a principal entry point, with the naval base on Haulbowline monitoring a million‑square‑kilometre sector of the Atlantic. Limited personnel mean only two to three of eight Irish ships can patrol at a time. Traffickers exploit cryptocurrencies, the dark web, GPS spoofing, unmanned vessels and other high‑tech methods. European cocaine prices have fallen about 18% since 2014 while street‑level purity has risen 44%, according to the EU drug agency.