is impossible to provide an exact figure for the total amount of 

exact amount of cocaine successfully smuggled into the United States weekly is impossible to track, but U.S. authorities report a massive and consistent flow of the drug. Officials seize hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cocaine annually, a figure that represents only a fraction of the total amount trafficked. 

Key Details on Cocaine Trafficking

• Colombia is the primary source: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that about 90% of the cocaine reaching the U.S. comes from Colombia, which produces at least 2,600 tons of cocaine annually.
• Major trafficking routes: Most cocaine destined for the U.S. is transported via the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea through Central America and Mexico. Transnational criminal organizations use various methods, including go-fast boats, semi-submersible vessels (“narco subs”), and commercial container ships.
• Seizure statistics: The U.S. Coast Guard seized a record 231,000 kilograms (over 500,000 pounds) of cocaine in fiscal year 2025 alone, the highest haul on record and more than triple the yearly average.
• Seizures are only a fraction: Experts and officials acknowledge that they only interdict a small percentage (at most 10%) of the total drug flow, indicating that a significant amount of cocaine successfully enters the country.
• Consistent supply: Despite record seizures, the flow of drugs has not slowed, driven by high demand and robust production. 

Federal agencies like the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the DEA provide ongoing statistics and news releases regarding their interdiction efforts. 

cocaine shipped to America weeklybecause the illegal nature of the trade means much of it goes undetected. However, law enforcement agencies seize massive quantities regularly, indicating a continuous and substantial flow. 

Scale of the Supply Chain

• Production: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that approximately 90% of the cocaine reaching the U.S. comes from Colombia, which produces at least 2,600 tons annually.
• Transit: The primary maritime trafficking route for cocaine bound for the U.S. runs from the Pacific coast of South America, up to Central America, and then overland through Mexico.
• Ineffectiveness of Interdiction Alone: Experts note that drug trafficking organizations often factor potential losses into their business models, with some estimates suggesting that less than 10% of the total flow is interdicted at sea. 

Examples of Seizures

The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies regularly announce major busts, often offloading millions of dollars worth of cocaine at a time. In fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard seized a record 231,000 kilograms (over 500,000 pounds) of cocaine in total, more than triple its yearly average. 

Recent examples of large-scale seizures include:

• November 2025: More than 49,000 pounds of cocaine, valued at over $362 million, were offloaded by a single U.S. Coast Guard cutter in Florida, resulting from 15 separate interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• November 2025: Panamanian authorities seized approximately 13.2 tons (over 26,000 pounds) of cocaine bound for the U.S. from a ferry in the Pacific.
• August 2025: The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloaded over 76,000 pounds of illegal drugs, including approximately 61,740 pounds of cocaine, in a single offload at Port Everglades. 

These significant seizures underscore the high volume of cocaine being moved towards the United States on an ongoing basis.