Reported by The Economist

From Hellfire missiles over the Caribbean to billion-dollar crypto laundering networks, the global drug trade has evolved far beyond the era of Pablo Escobar.

Today’s traffickers operate like decentralized startups — using subcontractors, digital financiers, and crypto money-launderers to move drugs and profits across continents. The U.S. response, led by President Trump’s renewed military campaign, may be dramatic — but experts warn it’s targeting the wrong layer of the problem.

The future of enforcement lies not in firepower but in intelligence, financial tracing, and white-collar accountability. True disruption starts when the paymasters — not just the boat crews — face justice.