“For Germany, that would mean possible shifts along sea and land routes, as well as in digital distribution. We already have highly dynamic structures of organized crime — especially online. The U.S. administration’s announced ‘war on drugs’ could further intensify this,” he added.
Streeck, who is pushing for a partial rollback of Germany’s cannabis legalization, described the narcotics situation in Germany as an “impending” crisis. He warned that cocaine prices are falling, that consumers are getting younger and drug-related deaths among people under 30 would rise dramatically.
According to the EU Drugs Agency, cocaine availability continues to increase across Europe. In 2023, for the seventh consecutive year, EU member countries reported a record amount of cocaine seized.
The U.S. government expanded its campaign against drug traffickers this week. On Tuesday, American forces launched an attack on a suspected smuggling vessel off Colombia’s western coast, killing two people. The strike fueled tensions between the two countries.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the lethal strike in a social media post, saying such operations would continue “day after day.”