Trump Falsely Claims Drugs Coming by Sea Have Been 'Virtually Stopped' in State of the Union

In his 2026 State of the Union, Trump claimed that with his 'new military campaign,' drugs coming in by sea have been 'virtually stopped.' There is no evidence to support this claim. While the Trump administration has conducted military operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, striking at least 41 vessels and killing approximately 152 people since September 2025, there is no data showing that maritime drug trafficking has been 'virtually stopped.' Drug trafficking operations continue to use multiple routes and methods, and experts note that interdiction operations affect only a fraction of total drug flows.

"With our new military campaign, drugs coming in by sea have been virtually stopped." — State of the Union address to joint session of Congress, February 24, 2026