Trump Declares Bold Shift to Target Overland Drug Trafficking as Sea Routes Drop 97%

By Charlie McCarthy | Thursday, 29 January 2026 02:36 PM EST
After stating illegal drugs entering the U.S. via the sea have fallen “97%,” President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that attention has shifted to land-based activity.

Trump made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting, arguing that the administration’s aggressive maritime strategy has significantly disrupted cartel trafficking routes and that the next phase will focus on overland pipelines.

“As you know, it’s 97% down by water,” Trump said, adding that halting drug trafficking at sea was “the more difficult route.” Now, he stated, “we’re starting to do that by land also.”

He framed the effort as a life-and-death mission, claiming drug traffickers are “coming in and killing our people” while asserting the true annual death toll from such activity is far higher than often reported. Trump also highlighted a parallel crackdown on maritime threats beyond narcotics, noting Somali piracy has “essentially stopped” after U.S. warnings that would-be hijackers would face the same “ultimate treatment” as drug traffickers.

The president added that global shipping lanes—which once saw ships taken “every single” week—are now safer because pirates know any move toward a vessel will be met with overwhelming force.

The renewed focus on land-based smuggling comes as federal data and enforcement reports reveal how complex America’s drug pipeline has become. U.S. Customs and Border Protection regularly posts drug seizure statistics across ports of entry and between ports, providing insight into narcotics interdictions at and along the border. Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration warned that synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, remain central threats, with trafficking networks adapting routes and methods to evade authorities.

A recent Government Accountability Office report examined Department of Homeland Security seizure data and broader federal efforts targeting illicit fentanyl trafficking into the United States.

Trump’s remarks align with a broader administration message that deterrence—including robust interdiction at sea—can choke off supply before it reaches American streets. The U.S. Coast Guard has maintained major counterdrug operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, achieving record-sized maritime seizures in recent months.

Conservatives have long argued enforcement must be relentless and unapologetic because cartels and smugglers exploit weakness. Trump echoed this theme at the Cabinet meeting, stating each drug load stopped prevents untold harm and promising Americans will soon see expanded action against “land” routes as well.

For the White House, the message is clear: The era of permissive borders and cartel impunity is over, and the administration intends to hit traffickers wherever they operate—whether by sea or land.