WASHINGTON — Following a months-long campaign of blowing up suspected smuggling vessels, defense and intelligence officials confirmed Tuesday that 67 deadly boat strikes have yielded absolutely no reduction in the supply or purity of American cocaine.

The operational update clarifies the president's April declaration that "98.2%" of ocean-borne drugs had been stopped. Reviewing data from Operation Southern Spear, which launched in September 2025 to "detect, disrupt and dismantle" trafficking networks, DEA and Pentagon officials noted the primary result of the maritime explosions has been cartels successfully updating their logistics. According to Johns Hopkins researchers cited in the assessments, the drug remains "highly available, highly prevalent and relatively inexpensive."

Despite the lack of market disruption, agencies stressed the continued necessity of the strikes to maintain funding for military contractors and support the administration's border narratives. "The cartels have adapted their supply lines, but we have not adapted our strategy," a defense spokesperson said, standing before a chart showing a completely flat line for domestic cocaine prices.