Did the U.S. focus on fentanyl leave Latin America awash in cocaine?

Saturday, December 6, 2025 -As U.S. policy, law-enforcement resources, and political messaging have increasingly centered on stopping the flow of fentanyl, a dramatic shift has taken place across Latin America: cocaine production and trafficking have surged to levels that regional officials say they have not seen in more than a decade. 

Anti-narcotics units in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia report that cartels are exploiting the redirected U.S. attention, ramping up cultivation and refining operations while American and international agencies remain locked on synthetic opioids. The pressure on fentanyl has not reduced cartel power—it has redistributed it, creating opportunities for expansion rather than retreat.

Security officials in the region warn that cocaine markets are stabilizing at a dangerously high output, flooding both traditional routes and new European and African corridors. With enforcement priorities narrowed, cartels have diversified their logistics and strengthened their control over remote zones where state presence is weak. 

Local governments say they are overwhelmed: resources that once supported broad counter-drug initiatives have been thinned, leaving rural communities exposed to forced labor, environmental destruction, and rising violence connected to the renewed cocaine economy.

In Washington, critics argue that the U.S. strategy underestimated how quickly criminal organizations would adapt, and they warn that the consequences are now global. By focusing so narrowly on fentanyl, policymakers allowed a parallel crisis to accelerate—one that fuels migration, destabilizes democracies, and undermines economic development across the hemisphere. 

As the cocaine supply expands and becomes cheaper, U.S. officials face mounting pressure to adopt a more balanced approach that targets synthetic drugs without ignoring the longstanding networks that continue to shape the narcotics trade throughout Latin America.