Council on Foreign Relations 237d ago

“The question is whether or not blowing up a couple dozen . . . boats with cocaine on them in Latin America is going to have a significant impact on that drug trade in America,” says Representative and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-WA). The representative questions the effectiveness of military strikes against drug trafficking vessels, mentioning that about 14 boats have been destroyed so far. He argues that demand drives the drug trade in the United States, so destroying boats will likely cause cartels to find alternative routes or push different drugs rather than reduce supply. Smith notes that operations thus far have only targeted vessels in international waters, which could prompt cartels to pivot to territorial routes. He observes that Venezuela, while involved in drug trafficking, is not the largest producer or shipment hub. As a result, Smith suggests that the U.S. actions toward Venezuela could serve a secondary objective of regime change, noting concern that the United States should avoid such interventions based on past experiences. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/