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Trump Claims 98.2% Drug Seizure Rate, Experts Disagree

4/18/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that 98.2% of drugs smuggled by sea are stopped.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data underlie this claim but reflect seizures from specific months.
Drug policy researchers say the data exclude undetected trafficking and measure interdiction, not actual drug flow.
Cocaine seizures declined from August 2025 to January 2026, a change linked to operational shifts, including military strikes.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that 98.2% of drugs smuggled by sea are stopped.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data underlie this claim but reflect seizures from specific months.
Drug policy researchers say the data exclude undetected trafficking and measure interdiction, not actual drug flow.
Cocaine seizures declined from August 2025 to January 2026, a change linked to operational shifts, including military strikes.