That is the nature of our conflict. When our seizures of ships laden with exposed contraband exceeded the smugglers comfort threshold, they started hiding their goods in hidden compartments. When we developed techniques to detect those hidden compartments, they developed more advanced methods of secreting cargo. In turn, we developed even better techniques. We control choke points in the transit zone, and the smugglers change their shipment routes.
Tactics continually evolve.
Right now, the preferred tactic is the use of low profile boats that run at high speeds under cover of darkness and can outrun our slow and old fleet of Coast Guard cutters. They immediately proved themselves effective against the go-fast threat and helped us set that record for cocaine seizures. That sort of turnaround from appropriation to development to deployment to results is almost unheard of in government. It proves we re sufficiently lean, efficient, and creative to convert additional resources into increased results. Just how determined and how well financed are not widely understood.