US Drug War: A Perpetual Motion Machine of Failure and Profit
📰 THE STORY: Despite extensive US military operations, including lethal strikes on suspected drug vessels, the flow of illegal drugs persists, alarming allies in the Caribbean and undermining local fishing communities. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US 'War on Drugs' has been a strategic failure since its inception, often masking geopolitical objectives. In 1980, the CIA
funded Nicaraguan Contras, who were later implicated in widespread cocaine trafficking to fund their fight against the Sandinistas, as exposed by Gary Webb in 1996. The 20-year US occupation of Afghanistan, which ended in 2021, coincided with a massive surge in opium production, with Afghanistan producing 85% of the world's opium by 2007. Double Standard: While the US escalates military action in
the Caribbean against sovereign states like Venezuela under the guise of anti-drug operations, it simultaneously funds countries notorious for drug production and trafficking when it suits geopolitical aims. The US has provided over $1.3 billion in aid to Colombia in the 2000s for Plan Colombia, which primarily focused on military interdiction, yet cocaine production there increased by 13% from
2017 to 2019 alone, according to the UN. But when it's Venezuela, suddenly military force is the go-to. Follow the Money: The 'War on Drugs' is a boon for the military-industrial complex. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman profit immensely from contracts for surveillance aircraft, naval vessels, and missile systems used in these operations. For instance, the US Customs