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Maritime drug interdiction

The US has traditionally relied on law enforcement for maritime drug interdiction, but has shifted to a military-led approach.

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Feb 7, 2026

How have past U.S. maritime interdictions resulted in prosecution versus lethal force outcomes?

For decades were run as law enforcement operations designed to disable vessels, arrest crews, and deliver suspects to criminal courts—an approach that produced high interdiction-and-prosecution rates ...

Jan 6, 2026

What prompted passage of the Maritime Drug Enforcement Act of 1986?

The Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA) was passed in 1986 as part of broader Anti-Drug Abuse legislation to close enforcement and jurisdictional gaps that allowed large-scale maritime drug traf...