Fact Check: Coast Guard Actually Reported 81% Of Suspected Trafficking Boats Stopped Off Venezuela Before Airstrikes Had Drugs

Claims circulating online that the U.S. Coast Guard found drugs on only 21% of suspected drug-trafficking boats intercepted off Venezuela in the year before airstrikes are inaccurate. Social media posts misrepresented data shared by Senator Rand Paul, who received the information directly from the Coast Guard.

According to official Coast Guard records, of 212 vessels stopped between September 1, 2024, and October 7, 2025, 41 had no illicit contraband on board, which equals roughly 19.4% of the total. This means that the remaining 80.6% of vessels did carry illegal substances.

During the same period, 69 vessels were intercepted in the Caribbean Sea. Fourteen of these had no contraband, and of those, 11 did not appear to violate any federal law. Specifically, 14 vessels were intercepted near Venezuela, with three found to be without illicit contraband; however, one of these three violated other U.S. criminal statutes.

The Coast Guard did not employ lethal force against any of the 212 vessels. Non-lethal measures were used on 105 occasions to warn or disable non-compliant vessels suspected of smuggling. Most interdictions, 208 out of 212, occurred in international waters, three in U.S. territorial waters, and one in foreign territorial seas under a bilateral agreement.

The misinformation originated from social media posts that reversed the correct figures, suggesting that 79% of vessels had no drugs. In reality, the majority of intercepted vessels were carrying illicit substances, contrary to the claims made online.

Author: Noah Whitman