Fact-check · Sep 12, 2026 · Donald Trump
“Each one of those boats can kill twenty five thousand people. On average, twenty five thousand people.”
FALSE
What the record shows
Coast Guard seizure data shows 61,740 lbs cocaine = 23 million lethal doses (372 per pound). Typical boat seizures range 1,000-2,000 lbs, yielding ~370,000-740,000 lethal doses per vessel, not 25,000.
Sources
- Lessons from Maritime Narcotics Interdiction: Interdiction in the Maritime
- Charleston-based Coast Guard assist in record US drug seizures at sea amid deadly boat strikes
- What to know about U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats : NPR
- Drug Boats: Where Questions of Lethality and Legality Meet | Proceedings - September 2025 Vol. 151/9/1,471
- Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act
- coast guard record cocaine seizure trump interdiction venezuela drug boats
From: President Trump Delivers Remarks to U.S. Embassy Personnel and Business Leaders
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