U.S. forces have shelled nearly 200 small boats off South America in a campaign aimed at choking cocaine shipments. The strikes, launched under President Trump, cost about $4.7 billion and deployed AC‑130J gunships, F‑35s and 15,000 troops. Yet researchers say the drug remains as easy to obtain in U.S. cities as before, everywhere today still present.

Street prices, overdose rates, and border seizures show no downturn. Cocaine sells for $60‑$100 per gram in many cities, matching pre‑strike levels, and purity averages 1.3‑1.5 adulterants—unchanged from 2025. U.S. Customs seized 47,808 pounds in the last eight months, slightly higher than the 43,227 pounds before the campaign, of 2025 and still flowing undetected today.

Experts argue the operation violates U.S. law by targeting non‑combatants and fails to curb supply. Traffickers adapt by shifting to land corridors and container ships, as seen in Ecuador and Colombia. The campaign’s high cost and lack of measurable impact raise doubts about its strategic value and the ethics of armed interdiction in 2026 today.

With the war on drugs expanding into military action, policymakers face a stark choice: continue funding a costly, ineffective strategy or redirect resources toward prevention and treatment. Until then, cocaine will remain a readily available commodity, and the human toll of the strikes will linger on coastlines and street corners alike for 2026 and beyond.