U.S. Coast Guard deploys high-tech tactics to cripple drug smuggling at sea
The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Federal are stepping up efforts to halt drug smuggling by sea. Using helicopters, advanced weaponry, and new technologies, they aim to stop fast boats without always resorting to lethal force. Recent operations have already led to dozens of arrests and vessel seizures.
The Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) operates eight Augusta A109E helicopters, known as MH-90 Enforcers. These aircraft are equipped with M-240 machine guns and .50-caliber Robar sniper rifles. Their tactics include firing warning shots and disabling boat engines while keeping crews unharmed. In fiscal year 2024, HITRON stopped 34 vessels and detained 114 smugglers, with even higher numbers reported for 2025.
Capturing boats intact and crews alive helps gather intelligence and disrupt cartel networks. Smuggling crews are often low-level criminals, paid around $500 per trip, and easily replaced by cartels. This makes non-lethal methods crucial for long-term disruption.
The Pentagon has developed several non-lethal systems to stop fast boats. One is the Running Gear Entanglement System (RGES), which tangles boat propellers. Terry Crews of Diamond Nets supplies RGES made from ultra-high strength Spectra fiber to law enforcement and the military. The Navy is also working on a biodegradable version based on hagfish slime, which dissolves after use and leaves no waste. Another experimental device, nicknamed the 'jellyfish', targets jet-propelled boats.
In addition, the Navy is testing a Directed Energy Vessel Stopper. This system uses high-energy microwaves to disable boat engines remotely. Meanwhile, some, like commentator Pete Hegseth, argue for lethal strikes, claiming they would 'stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists'.
The Coast Guard and Navy continue to refine their approach, balancing lethal and non-lethal tactics. New technologies, such as the biodegradable RGES and microwave-based engine stoppers, aim to improve efficiency while reducing risks. These efforts target both immediate interdiction and long-term cartel disruption.
