Coast Guard, CBP and ONDCP describe rising interdictions, technology gaps and resource shortfalls

Senior law enforcement officials and the Office of National Drug Control Policy told the Senate Commerce Committee that interdiction results have increased but capacity, maintenance and technology gaps limit sustained progress.

Shannon Kelly, U.S. Interdiction Coordinator and director of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program at ONDCP, said HIDTA allocates nearly $300 million in federal funding to regional task forces and that the interagency effort is essential to disrupting supply chains. "We must dismantle the supply chains for illicit drugs and the raw materials," Kelly said, and noted recent executive-designation authorities that target cartel support networks.

Rear Admiral Adam Shami of the U.S. Coast Guard highlighted recent large sea seizures and the service's operational strain. He told senators that cutters and aircrews interdicted 106 metric tons of cocaine in fiscal year 2024 (street value cited in testimony) and that interdictions had already exceeded that total early in the next fiscal year. "This pace, however, is not sustainable," he said, citing equipment failures, scarce replacement parts and aging ships: "We're a $20,000,000,000 Coast Guard on a $12,000,000,000 budget." He described operations where cutters seized multi-ton loads after helicopter and precision marksman actions.

Jonathan Miller, Executive Assistant Commissioner for Air and Marine Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (AMO), described the maritime complexity and rising aggressiveness of smugglers. He listed interdiction tools — aircraft (P-3s, P-8s, MQ-9 UAS), maritime patrol vessels, aerostats, radars and repowered interceptors — and urged expansion of customs waters from 12 to 24 nautical miles to give AMO broader operational reach.

Chief Kevin Hall of the Spokane Police Department and other local officials testified on the domestic transportation networks where fentanyl is distributed once it crosses the border. Hall said, "We're catching a fraction of the illegal narcotics that are entering the country," and urged investments in vapor-detection technology, non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems, canine units, laboratory capacity and training so local agencies can process more evidence and bring charges promptly.

Committee members pressed witnesses on several policy and funding proposals raised during the hearing: reauthorizing and increasing HIDTA funding; the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act and a Pay Our Coast Guard Act to address pay and readiness in a potential shutdown; a Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on Transportation Networks Act to expand NII and mobile inspection systems; and national investments in vapor-ID and AI-supported detection systems.

Witnesses and senators also discussed supply-chain origins and international cooperation to target precursor chemicals. Kelly and Coast Guard witnesses said precursor chemicals primarily originate abroad and that international partnerships and intelligence-sharing are critical. Committee members asked about Chinese-sourced precursor chemicals, the role of ports and inland waterways (including the Mississippi River and the Port of Memphis), and the emergence of low-cost delivery methods such as small drones.

On the operational side, Admiral Shami described unmanned aircraft (ScanEagle) deployed from cutters as a "game changer" for maritime detection, while AMO described repowered interceptor vessels and increased use of AI to filter radar targets. All three federal witnesses urged more funding and legislative authorities — including broader customs waters and additional aviation and cutter assets — to sustain current interdiction momentum.