AI against cocaine: How America is using artificial intelligence to stop drug trafficking
Including the first one in September, the US has carried out 16 airstrikes against “drug boats” so far. This is how AI is part of their maritime war against drugs.
As of November 1, the US has carried out 15 airstrikes on 16 drug boats/vessels, killing at least 64 suspected smugglers. The strikes were authorised by the administration of President Donald Trump as part of a mission to fight maritime drug trafficking and the “narcoterrorists.”
The first strike occurred on September 1, killing all 11 smugglers on board the drug vessel, which had allegedly come from Venezuela and was linked to the Venezuelan criminal organisation, Tren de Aragua. The US has claimed that the Colombian guerrilla group National Liberation Army is also linked to the recent trafficking bout.
The primary drug that the boats were known to carry is cocaine. From a drug boat hit on September 19 by the US, one thousand kilograms of cocaine was reportedly recovered in a total of 337 packages. Fentanyl and other illicit drugs are also reportedly trafficked by these drug boats.
Maritime AI spotted the first major smuggling risk in July
Windward, a US-based maritime intelligence company, is a known partner of several U.S. government agencies to provide “next-gen AI for U.S. federal maritime missions.” Windward’s maritime AI, such as “Early Detection” and “Smuggling Risk” models, identifies vessels that are at the highest risk of being involved in smuggling activities.
On July 14, Windward’s Early Detection model flagged a 150% increase in the number of vessels with smuggling risk drifting within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It was the highest since late 2022, triggering an immediate alert.
Drug Vessel is detected through ‘Smuggling Risk’ AI model
On August 11, according to Windward, 5,488 vessels reported the United States as their destination, which it describes as a volume far beyond the capacity of any agency to investigate comprehensively in real time.
By applying the Smuggling Risk model, the focus narrows to vessels with a higher probability of involvement in illicit activity. On the same day, filtering for vessels flagged as high or moderate smuggling risk reduced the field from 5,488 to just 98 vessels inbound to the US.
The identified drug vessels were investigated to find connections to a larger network of related ships, owners, and operators. In a recent case, two moderate-risk bulk carriers shared the same owner — a high-risk, Venezuela-based company operating a fleet of four bulk carriers, all of which were classified as moderate smuggling risk, according to Windward.
MQ-9 Reaper among the weapons of choice
The MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted drone made by the American military contractor General Atomics. Amid Trump’s anti-narcoterrorist mission, at least six different MQ-9 Reapers are being operated by the U.S. Air Force in the Caribbean, according to last week’s report in the Air & Space Forces Magazine (US-based). And according to an US military spokesperson, the very first strike (on September 1) was either carried out by a military helicopter or an MQ-9 Reaper.
A total of 31 next-generation variants of the same drone, called “MQ-9B,” are to be delivered to the Indian Armed Forces by 2030, as per a 2024 contract of approx. $3.5 billion signed between the Indian and U.S. governments.
The MQ-9 Reaper has AI-assisted systems that track multiple targets at once, making it easy to identify and surveil targets. To aid its AI, it has advanced cameras and it is accustomed to circling a point of interest.
AI to strengthen US Coast Guard
In the US Coast Guard Force Design 2028 Executive Report, it is said that AI will be used to further improve maritime surveillance capabilities. “Instead of replacing obsolete current capabilities in-kind, the Service will develop a robust and integrated sensor network that effectively collects, processes, and combines real-time data across platforms and systems while leveraging artificial intelligence and other leading technology.”
The report mentioned that AI will be used to “enhance decision-making” and support workforce growth. “A modern and effective workforce management capability is critical to growing the Coast Guard to meet mission demands. This system will streamline workforce management, onboarding, career tracking, and daily administration for all employees while incorporating AI to enhance decision-making.”
