Which country is the largest source of cocaine entering the United States?
Executive summary
Recent government and reporting data point to Colombia as the principal source of cocaine that reaches the United States: UN and Reuters reporting says Colombia was the source for most drugs crossing the U.S.–Mexico border [1][2], and a U.S. DEA chemical‑signature analysis found approximately 84% of U.S. seized samples originated from Colombian coca in a 2024 report [3].
1. Colombia: the dominant origin identified by multiple analysts
UN data summarized by Newsweek and Reuters state that Colombia’s cocaine production surged and that “Colombia was the source for most of the drugs that eventually crossed the U.S.–Mexico border” in the period covered by the UNODC World Drug Report [1][2]. The DEA’s CY2024 chemical source‑apportionment report supports that conclusion for U.S. seizures: about 84% of tested U.S. samples were classified as originating from Colombian coca, with most samples processed using Colombian‑style solvents [3].
2. How analysts determine “source”: production, chemistry and seizures
Experts use a mix of methods to attribute origin: satellite and field estimates of coca cultivation and cocaine production (UNODC), forensic chemical profiling of seized cocaine to match production signatures and solvents (DEA), and seizure geography (coast guards, customs) [2][3][4]. The DEA’s Custodial Sample Program (CSP) analysis that produced the 84% figure relied on chemical markers and solvent profiles found in U.S. seizures [3].
3. Routes and intermediaries complicate a single‑country answer
Even when production is concentrated in one country, trafficking routes and intermediaries matter. Reporting notes traffickers move cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela through Guyana, Suriname and onward, and U.S. authorities highlight maritime, air and overland smuggling into and through Mexico and the Caribbean [5][1]. In short, origin (where coca is grown and processed) is distinct from the point of entry into the U.S. [1][5].
4. Recent seizures and production spikes change the picture year to year
The UNODC reported record global cocaine production and record seizures in 2023, and media reporting in 2025 emphasizes rising Colombian output and a jump in global seizures — trends that reinforce Colombia’s central role for the period covered [2][1]. In addition, national seizure records across Latin America in 2024 (Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala) show shifting interdiction patterns; but these do not negate the DEA finding about U.S. sample origins [6].
5. Alternative viewpoints and other producing countries
Sources consistently identify Peru and Bolivia as the only other countries with significant coca cultivation, and some reporting highlights large single seizures in Peru and increased Peruvian or Bolivian production in certain years [7][6]. InSight Crime’s roundup and Statista note large seizures and cultivation in Peru and Bolivia, and Geopolitical Futures notes that coca cultivation is concentrated in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia [6][7][8]. These facts mean Colombia dominates but other Andean nations also contribute — and their shares can change with enforcement and crop dynamics.
6. Policy framing and political context matter
U.S. government statements and designations have emphasized Colombian links; recent U.S. policy documents and sanctions name Colombian cartels and single out countries like Venezuela in other trafficking roles, indicating geopolitical and enforcement priorities shape public emphasis [5][9]. Sources show U.S. agencies use both interdiction and diplomatic pressure, which can color how responsibility is presented [5][9].
7. Limitations, data gaps and what the sources don’t say
Available sources do not provide a single, universally accepted percentage of U.S. cocaine imports by country beyond the DEA’s CSP sample analysis [3]. They also do not provide full transparency on sampling representativeness (how seizures sampled in the CSP map to all flows) in these excerpts; methodological caveats are implied but not detailed in the provided snippets [3]. Where exact trafficked tonnage per origin for a single year is required, available sources do not mention a definitive, all‑flows breakdown beyond seizure‑based and production estimates [2][3].
8. Bottom line for the reader
Multiple, independent sources converge: Colombia is identified as the primary origin of the vast majority of cocaine found in U.S. seizures in the recent reporting period — highlighted by the UNODC/press coverage and reinforced by the DEA’s CY2024 analysis showing roughly 84% of U.S. samples traceable to Colombian coca [1][2][3]. Other Andean countries (Peru, Bolivia) remain significant producers and trafficking routes and intermediaries (Mexico, Caribbean, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela) complicate the pathway drugs take to U.S. markets [6][5][7].