Overview
- The decree instructs the Justice Department to open investigations, directs Homeland Security to identify smuggling networks, and orders a review of potential Defense Department support or deployment.
- U.S. Southern Command said forces struck three suspected drug boats in the East Pacific, killing eight, as months of operations have left at least 95 people dead.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio plan to brief all senators on the maritime actions following the resignation of Southern Command chief Admiral Alvin Holsey.
- Trump asserted that fentanyl kills 200,000 to 300,000 Americans annually, a claim that contrasts with health‑agency estimates of roughly 80,000 overdose deaths last year, including about 48,000 involving painkillers.
- Experts argue fentanyl is not used as a weapon by terrorists or militaries and warn the WMD label risks militarizing a public‑health crisis as the administration faults foreign sources such as China, Mexico and Canada.