After saying illegal drugs entering the U.S. via the sea are down "97%," President Donald Trump on Thursday added that focus has begun on land activity.

Trump made the comments during a Cabinet meeting, arguing that the administration's aggressive maritime posture has sharply disrupted cartel trafficking routes, and that the next phase will target overland pipelines as well.

"As you know, it's 97% down by water," Trump said, adding that stopping drugs by sea was "the more difficult route."

Now, he said, "we're starting to do that by land also."

He framed the effort as a life-and-death mission, saying drug traffickers are "coming in and killing our people," and asserting the true annual death toll is far higher than often reported.

Trump also pointed to a parallel crackdown on maritime threats beyond narcotics, saying Somali piracy has "essentially stopped" after the U.S. warned would-be hijackers they would face the same "ultimate treatment" as drug traffickers.

The president said global shipping lanes that once saw ships taken "every single" week are now safer because pirates know any move toward a vessel will be met with overwhelming force.

The renewed focus on land-based smuggling comes as federal data and enforcement reporting continue to show how complex America's drug pipeline has become.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection regularly posts drug seizure statistics across ports of entry and between ports, offering a snapshot of the scale of narcotics interdictions at and along the border.

Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration has warned that synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, remain central threats, with trafficking networks adapting routes and methods to evade authorities.

A recent Government Accountability Office report also examined Department of Homeland Security seizure data and broader federal efforts aimed at combating illicit fentanyl trafficking into the United States.

Trump's remarks align with a broader administration message that deterrence, including robust interdiction at sea, can choke off supply before it reaches American streets.

The U.S. Coast Guard has continued major counterdrug operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific with record-sized maritime seizures in recent months.

Conservatives have long argued that enforcement must be relentless and unapologetic because cartels and smugglers exploit weakness.

Trump echoed that theme at the Cabinet meeting, saying each drug load stopped prevents untold harm, and promising Americans will soon see expanded action against "land" routes as well.

For the White House, the message is clear: The era of permissive borders and cartel impunity is over, and the administration intends to hit traffickers wherever they operate, sea or land.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

• Families of 2 Men Killed in Boat Strike Sue Trump Administration over Attack They Call 'unlawful'
• Death Toll in US Strikes on Drug Boats Hits 126