On Monday, December 15, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order officially classifying illegal fentanyl and its main precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This is an unprecedented move for a narcotic substance, underscoring the Trump administration’s approach to the opioid crisis as a national security threat comparable to chemical weapons.
During the ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, where Trump also awarded medals to military personnel for defending the border with Mexico, the president said:
“With this historic executive order that I will sign today, we are officially classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction — because that is what it is. No bomb causes this kind of damage.”
Trump noted that fentanyl claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans every year and emphasized that a lethal dose of the substance is only 2 milligrams — an amount comparable to a few grains of salt.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has been instructed to immediately step up investigations and prosecutions in cases involving fentanyl trafficking, including tougher penalties.
The Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury have been instructed to take action against assets and financial institutions linked to the production and distribution of the substance.
The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security are to use tools related to countering WMD to combat smuggling networks.
The decree emphasizes that the production and sale of fentanyl finance the activities of cartels and organizations previously designated as foreign terrorists.
Most of the fentanyl enters the US from Mexico, where it is produced using precursors from China and India. The Trump administration has previously designated several cartels as terrorist organizations and conducted military operations against suspected drug ships.
Supporters of the measure, including White House officials, consider it necessary to mobilize all federal government resources against “chemical weapons” that kill Americans.
This decision fits into Trump’s overall strategy of militarizing the fight against drug trafficking, including strengthening borders and putting pressure on neighboring countries.