Drug seizures at borders skyrocketed in fiscal year 2026: 866,846 pounds

The intensification of anti-crime operations at the borders, aimed at safeguarding national security, is paying off. Pending the release of September's statistics, 2026 will close as the fiscal year with the highest volume of drugs seized in the last four years, far exceeding the cumulative totals for fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

According to records published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), from October 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026, the efforts of the authorities resulted in the seizure of 866,846 pounds of drugs. This figure symbolizes the work being done to combat drug trafficking, one of the biggest problems the country has faced for years.

The increase in the effectiveness of interdictions is striking when compared to the trend over the past three fiscal years. During fiscal year 2025, the total volume of narcotics seized reached 583,256 pounds, slightly exceeding the figures for 2024 (573,469 pounds) and 2023 (549,238 pounds).

Massive surge in marijuana

We will now analyze the figures drug by drug.

Unlike in previous fiscal years, marijuana has seen a considerable surge during fiscal year 2026. With a cumulative total of 287,071 pounds seized between October and August, seizures have nearly doubled compared to the 149,582 pounds recorded in 2023. This increase breaks the downward trend observed in 2024 (174,991 pounds) and 2025 (185,004 pounds). This figure solidifies marijuana's position as the substance with the highest seizure volume in the last fiscal year.

Next is methamphetamine. Seizures at border crossings between October 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026 totaled 146,198 pounds. After reaching record highs in 2024 (174,197 pounds) and 2025 (170,119 pounds), the volume of drugs seized at border crossings has returned to levels similar to those of 2023, when 140,408 pounds were recorded.

As for cocaine, border authorities seized 62,247 pounds during the first eleven months of fiscal year 2026. The figure shows a downward stabilization compared to the peak of 81,085 pounds recorded in 2023, as well as compared to the plateau observed in 2024 (68,215 pounds) and 2025 (70,080 pounds).

Seizures of fentanyl—a substance that has been among the White House's top concerns in recent years, primarily due to the serious consequences it has for users—have continued their downward trend, totaling 10,369 pounds in fiscal year 2026. This volume stands in stark contrast to the peaks observed at the beginning of the four-year term, when 27,023 pounds were intercepted in 2023 and 21,889 pounds were intercepted in 2024. In 2025, the figure dropped to 12,027 pounds.

As for other known drugs, seizures of both heroin (967 pounds seized), khat (30,430 pounds) and ecstasy (159 pounds) have decreased compared to fiscal year 2025 figures, while seizures of ketamine (9,891 pounds) and LSD (49 pounds) have increased.

The category for other unclassified substances was the main driver behind the record-breaking total seizures in 2026, reaching an unprecedented figure of 319,465 pounds. This volume is more than three times the figures recorded in 2025 (91,494 pounds), 2024 (107,510 pounds) and 2023 (71,094 pounds). The exponential increase in this category reflects the diversification of new chemical precursors, designer drugs and unclassified mixtures that criminal groups are attempting to smuggle into the country.