President Donald Trump is unleashing every available tool against the cartels and foreign networks that have turned fentanyl into the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. That’s why President Trump signed an Executive Order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemical as weapons of mass destruction, or WMD.
Indeed, illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, noted the White House. Just two milligrams of fentanyl - equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt - is considered a lethal dose.
The new executive order directs the Attorney General to immediately pursue criminal charges, sentencing enhancements, and sentencing variances in fentanyl trafficking cases.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent will pursue appropriate actions against relevant assets and financial institutions for those involved in or supporting the manufacture, distribution, and sale of illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi will determine whether the Department of War should provide enhanced national security resources to the Department of Justice as necessary during an emergency situation involving a weapon of mass destruction.
Secretary Hegseth, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, must update their chemical incident response-related directives to include the fentanyl threat. Moreover, Secretary Noem will seek to identify fentanyl smuggling networks using WMD and nonproliferation related threat intelligence.
Cartels and foreign terrorist organizations use fentanyl profits to fund assassinations, terrorism, and insurgencies while waging armed conflict over trafficking routes and other facets of their operations. The potential for fentanyl to be weaponized for large-scale terror attacks by adversaries is a serious threat to the United States, the White House stated.
Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump declared a National Emergency at the southern border that allowed the United States to gain control of the border, combat the cartels, and secure the country.
President Trump designated eight cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13, to combat their violence and drug trafficking.
President Trump imposed tariffs to deal with Mexico’s, Canada’s, and China’s failure to address the flow of poisonous fentanyl and other drugs into our country. He also authorized military strikes to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and disrupt the narcoterrorists who are poisoning the American people.
President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law —permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. By designating illicit fentanyl as a WMD, President Trump is ensuring the full weight of the federal government is focused, coordinated, and mobilized to confront fentanyl as the deadly chemical weapon it is.
President Trump will not rest until the cartels are dismantled, illicit fentanyl is eradicated from America’s streets, and every family is safe from this chemical weapon.
Trump Names Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destructions
- Policy Office
President Donald Trump is unleashing every available tool against the cartels and foreign networks that have turned fentanyl into the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. That’s why President Trump signed an Executive Order designating illicit fentanyl as weapons of mass destruction.
