U.S. and U.N. reports provide estimates of the sheer volume involved:
Production Estimates: According to the United Nations, Colombia produced at least 2,600 tons (5.7 million pounds) of cocaine in 2023 alone. Most of the cocaine reaching the U.S. originates in Colombia and is trafficked across the Mexico-United States border.
Seizure Data: The U.S. government reports massive interdiction efforts.
In the fiscal year 2025, a Florida-based multi-agency task force (Joint Interagency Task Force South) seized a record 1 million pounds of cocaine.
The U.S. Coast Guard regularly announces large-scale seizures. In August 2025, it offloaded over 61,000 pounds of cocaine as part of the largest single drug offload in its history.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported average daily seizures of all narcotics (not just cocaine) of approximately 4,657 pounds across the United States in 2018.
These figures only represent a fraction of the total amount, as law enforcement agencies acknowledge that transnational criminal organizations succeed in moving a significant volume of drugs into the United States annually. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has noted that cocaine trafficking has surged in recent years, with global supply at record levels. David Michael Ramsey @surfman374

seizures by law enforcement and production estimates, not the total volume that evades detection. 

However, the U.S. government and various international bodies provide estimates and seizure data that indicate thousands of tons are produced and moved annually: 

Production and Flow Estimates

• Colombia is the primary source, producing about 90% of the cocaine that reaches the U.S..
• In 2023, the United Nations estimated that Colombia produced at least 2,600 tons (5.7 million pounds) of cocaine. Coca cultivation and production have reached record levels since the pandemic.
• A significant portion of this production is ultimately destined for the U.S. market, with estimates suggesting North America accounts for over 40% of global consumption.
• Most cocaine is smuggled through Central America and Mexico. The majority of the flow (an estimated 74%) arrives via the Pacific, with most of the remainder coming across the land border with Mexico. 

Seizure Data

Law enforcement agencies report significant seizures annually, but these represent only a fraction of the total amount shipped. 

• A multi-agency task force (Joint Interagency Task Force South) seized a record 1 million pounds of cocaine during fiscal year 2025.
• The U.S. Coast Guard regularly makes large individual busts. For instance, in August 2025, they offloaded over 61,740 pounds of cocaine, the largest single offload in their history.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data from 2018 indicated an average of 4,657 pounds of narcotics (all types) seized every day across the United States. 

Ultimately, these large seizures highlight the scale of the challenge in stopping the flow of illicit drugs, but the total amount that successfully makes it to American communities remains unknown. You can find more information about seizures on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Museum.