Criminal organizations involved in global cocaine trafficking demonstrated unprecedented sophistication in 2025, employing remote-controlled submarines, liquid cocaine shipments, and sailing vessels to evade international interdiction efforts. While approximately half of Latin American and Caribbean nations reported increased cocaine seizures, the other half experienced declines as trafficking routes adapted to new enforcement strategies.
Colombia, maintaining its position as the world’s largest cocaine producer, recorded a dramatic 59.4 percent increase in seizures, confiscating 445.9 tons compared to 279.7 tons in 2024. Colombian authorities also contributed to an additional 633 tons seized internationally. The year’s most significant single seizure occurred at the Pacific port of Buenaventura, where officials discovered 14 tons of cocaine hidden in a container, marking the decade’s largest individual confiscation.
Technological innovation characterized trafficking methods throughout 2025. In July, Colombian authorities intercepted a remote-controlled narco submarine off the northern coast. Though the vessel carried no drugs when seized, police believe traffickers were testing it for future shipments. These technological advances reflect criminal organizations’ efforts to reduce costs and risks along supply chains.
Peru reported destroying 55.6 tons of drugs in 2025, with cocaine-like substances comprising 70 percent of the total. Eradication efforts intensified, with authorities destroying approximately 34,200 hectares of coca crops, up from 26,500 hectares the previous year. The regions of Ucayali, Huanuco, and Loreto saw the highest eradication levels, where illegal coca cultivation increasingly encroaches on Indigenous territories, fueling regional violence.
Bolivia experienced a significant 62.7 percent decrease in cocaine seizures, capturing 17.1 tons compared to 45.9 tons in 2024. This decline followed 2024’s inflated figures, which included the total weight of cargo containing both flour and cocaine. Under new leadership, Bolivia resumed cooperation with international drug enforcement agencies after years of suspension.
Ecuador’s domestic seizures fell to 75.9 tons from 157.7 tons in 2024, while international and high seas seizures increased to 124 tons from 99.4 tons. The country remains crucial for cocaine flows to global markets. Intensified cooperation with international partners yielded significant results, including a 10-ton seizure in international waters involving Ecuador’s Security Bloc and naval forces.
The increased enforcement pressure has dramatically inflated transportation costs. Criminal organizations now pay fishermen between $40,000 and $15,000 per crew member for drug transportation to Central America, representing a substantial increase from the $20,000 per trip and $5,000 assistant payments common between 2023 and 2024.
Venezuela reported seizing approximately 42.6 tons of cocaine in 2025, including a record 15.4-ton seizure in Zulia state near the Colombian border. The state has emerged as a key transit territory, with local gangs increasingly gaining control as foreign cartel influence diminishes.
Panama seized 97.0 tons of cocaine in 2025, a slight 2.3 percent decrease from 2024. The country recorded the year’s third-largest global seizure when authorities intercepted 13.5 tons aboard a tugboat traveling from Colombia to the United States. The province of Colón, strategically positioned along the Panama Canal, accounted for most national seizures.
Central American nations showed varied results. Guatemala seized 9.9 tons, a 45.9 percent decrease from 2024, despite remaining a critical transit country for shipments to both the United States and Europe. Costa Rica experienced a 72.4 percent increase, seizing 46.5 tons as the country’s role in international trafficking networks expanded.
The evolving landscape of global cocaine trafficking reflects criminal organizations’ adaptability to enforcement pressures. As traditional routes face increased scrutiny, traffickers continue developing innovative methods and exploring alternative pathways, ensuring the cocaine trade remains a persistent challenge for international law enforcement agencies.
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