Which Venezuelan ports have the highest recorded cocaine seizures destined for the United States since 2020?
Executive summary
Available reporting and public-data sources do not record a clear, centralized tally of “which Venezuelan ports have the highest recorded cocaine seizures destined for the United States since 2020”; most recent sources treat Venezuela as a transit hub with seizures tied to vessels and waters rather than named port-by-port totals (not found in current reporting). Independent investigations and government reports emphasize large maritime seizures linked to Venezuelan waters (examples: 3.3‑ton Spain seizure, 2.4‑ton Martinique case) and that most Venezuelan-origin cocaine is routed to Europe rather than directly to the U.S. [1] [2] [3].
1. What the evidence actually tracks: boats and corridors, not “port X” tallies
Open-source coverage from news outlets and research groups shows seizures often described by vessel, coastal waters, island transfers or intermediary transits (e.g., fishing vessels seized en route to Spain or found near Martinique), rather than systematic port-by-port accounting that ties a seizure to a named Venezuelan port as the final origin for U.S.-bound cocaine [1] [2] [3]. Government and NGO publications likewise estimate volumes moving through Venezuela but do not publish public datasets that rank Venezuelan ports by U.S.-direct seizures since 2020 [4] [5].
2. Where large seizures linked to Venezuela were reported — mostly Europe/Atlantic routes
Recent high‑profile seizures tied to vessels or waters near Venezuela involved shipments bound for Europe or transiting to West Africa: Spanish authorities seized 3.3 tons aboard a Venezuelan fishing vessel near the Canary Islands and Irish police linked a 2.2‑ton haul (MV Matthew) to loading in waters near Venezuela [1]. InsightCrime and regional reporting documented a 2.4‑ton fishing-boat seizure that left Margarita Island and was found near Martinique in 2024 [2]. These examples show large hauls associated with Venezuelan maritime activity but not necessarily U.S.-direct destinations [1] [2].
3. U.S.-bound seizure data emphasize other routes and countries
U.S. authorities and reporting note that the overwhelming share of cocaine seized in the United States originates in Andean producers and moves via Mexico; U.S. data and expert commentary indicate most cocaine reaching the U.S. does not transit Venezuelan ports as a primary route [6] [7] [5]. A 2024 DEA fact sheet and other analyses cited in reporting say roughly 84% of U.S. cocaine seizures trace to Colombia, and only a minority of U.S.-bound flows use Caribbean routes linked to Venezuela [6] [5].
4. The Biden/Trump-era maritime strikes and seizure counts complicate attribution
Since 2025, U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug boats have focused on craft allegedly departing Venezuelan waters; those actions yielded recovered packages (for example, a speedboat strike led to salvage of 1,000 kg) but the U.S. has not publicly tied a comprehensive, port‑level seizure dataset to U.S. consumption endpoints [8]. Reporting and analysts also dispute whether those craft were en route to the United States or to Europe — several experts argue many Caribbean boat movements originate in Venezuela but is destined for Europe via Caribbean waypoints [3] [9].
5. Institutional and informational limits: why no port leaderboard exists
Available sources show major constraints: Venezuelan government seizure reports are partial and politically charged; international seizures often occur in high seas or foreign waters after transfer at sea; and U.S. and international agencies publish flow estimates (metric tons through Venezuela) rather than port‑level seizure rankings [4] [10] [7]. This lack of standardized, public port‑level data means claims that “Port A has the most U.S.-bound seizures since 2020” are not supported in current reporting (not found in current reporting).
6. Competing interpretations and political context
U.S. enforcement and political messaging have emphasized Venezuela’s role in trafficking and at times named Venezuelan officials in indictments [11] [12], while analysts, European seizure data and UN reporting emphasize that Venezuela is mainly a transit node with many large seizures linked to Europe-bound routes [1] [2] [7]. Critics say U.S. military strikes have been justified with incomplete public evidence about destination and chain of custody, and scholars warn seizure geography must be interpreted through geopolitical and evidentiary constraints [8] [9].
7. Practical takeaway for your question
If you need a definitive, sourced list of Venezuelan ports ranked by cocaine seizures documented as “destined for the United States since 2020,” available sources do not provide that dataset; reporting instead documents high‑volume vessel seizures tied to Venezuelan waters and emphasizes Europe‑bound flows more than U.S. direct routes (not found in current reporting; [1]; [2]; p1_s6). To produce a port-level ranking would require access to primary seizure logs from Venezuelan authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard/DEA, and international partners — records that are either not publicly compiled or are politically sensitive in current sources [4] [5].
Limitations: This analysis uses only the supplied documents and cites them directly; they do not include any internal seizure databases or classified agency data that might show port-level totals [4] [8].