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7h ago

Trump Classifies Illicit Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

The move orders cross‑agency measures to treat trafficking as a chemical security threat, including criminal, financial, intelligence and potential military steps.

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President Donald Trump went on a rant about immigrants and announced he was signing an order to classify fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction during his Oval Office event on December 15.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 15: U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order classifying fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction," during a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. During the ceremony, Trump recognized the first 13 service members to receive the recently established Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM), which recognizes service members supporting Customs and Border Protection on the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • An executive order designates illicit fentanyl and its core precursors as WMD, with medical uses explicitly unaffected.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi is directed to pursue enhanced prosecutions and sentencing in fentanyl cases, while State and Treasury target assets and financial institutions linked to the trade.
  • Defense officials must assess providing Pentagon resources to the Justice Department during WMD emergencies, and Defense and Homeland Security will update chemical‑incident response plans to include fentanyl.
  • The Department of Homeland Security is tasked with identifying smuggling networks using WMD and nonproliferation intelligence tools.
  • The action follows more than 20 strikes on suspected drug boats and cartel terror designations, drawing legal scrutiny and comparisons by critics to past WMD justifications, as experts note most U.S.-bound fentanyl is made in Mexico using chemicals from China.