US attacks on suspected drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean and Pacific have killed dozens of people
The EU could face a rise in narcotics as a result of US President Donald Trump’s decision. “I was drugged” targeting suspected traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific, a German official warned.
German drug commissioner Hendrik Streeck told Bild on Thursday that a tougher US crackdown on cartels in Colombia and Venezuela could exacerbate Europe’s narcotics problem.
Traffickers could change routes by sea and land and expand online, Streeck warned. “Organized crime is already very dynamic, especially online,” said.
He warned of a “imminent crisis” in Germany, citing falling cocaine prices, younger users and an increase in drug-related deaths among people under 30.
On Friday, while presenting an annual report on drug crimes, Streeck described a “frightening” Increased consumption of hard drugs. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Germany faces a “Massive drug problem.”
Cocaine availability continues to rise across the EU, with member states reporting record seizures for the seventh consecutive year in 2023, according to data from the bloc’s Drugs Agency.
Washington has expanded anti-trafficking operations, seeing them as part of a campaign to disrupt smuggling routes and production networks linked to the opioid crisis in the United States. US forces have attacked suspected drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean and Pacific, including some that Washington claims were linked to Venezuela, killing dozens. Caracas denies participation and accuses Washington of seeking “regime change.”
Tensions rose after Trump said he had authorized covert CIA activities inside Venezuela and signaled that military actions could expand from sea to land operations. President Nicolás Maduro described the declaration as unprecedented and “desperate,” putting the military on alert.
On Tuesday, US forces attacked a suspected smuggling ship off the western coast of Colombia, killing two people. Bogotá condemned the attacks and warned that they could exacerbate tensions and undermine regional cooperation. President Gustavo Petro described the campaign as “an aggression against all of Latin America and the Caribbean” saying that Washington was trying to gain control of the region’s oil reserves.