I am very skeptical of statistics touted by so-called "security experts", spy agencies, or anti-drug organizations like the DEA. They aren't exactly impartial observers, and have every incentive to greatly exaggerate the scale of their opposition. The bigger and meaner their opposition looks, the better the case they can make for increased funding of and attention to their own business.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media usually quotes these biased sources as if they were speaking gospel truth, without a shred of criticism or doubt. These sources are virtually never held to account, asked to justify how they came up with their estimates, or have their estimating methodologies critically scruitinized.