Trump Declares Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday classifying illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction, a highly unusual move that significantly expands the federal government’s legal and operational tools to combat the synthetic opioid driving tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year.

Speaking at the White House during a ceremony honoring US service members involved in border enforcement, Trump said the designation reflected the scale of the threat fentanyl poses to the country. “We’re formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is,” he said. “No bomb does what this is doing.”

The order reframes fentanyl not as a public health issue alone, but as a national security threat comparable to chemical weapons. It authorizes greater involvement by the Pentagon in support of law enforcement and allows intelligence agencies to apply counterproliferation tools typically reserved for weapons of mass destruction to drug trafficking networks.

The executive order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to immediately pursue investigations and prosecutions related to fentanyl trafficking, and instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to target financial institutions and assets linked to the manufacture and distribution of the drug. The order describes fentanyl trafficking as a source of funding for foreign terrorist organizations and criminal cartels, arguing that it directly undermines US domestic security.

The move builds on Trump’s broader escalation of the drug war. Earlier this year, his administration designated several major drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a step that has already enabled US military strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. Since September, more than 20 such strikes have reportedly killed over 80 people, drawing legal and political criticism.

Some legal experts questioned the practical impact of the order, noting that US law already criminalizes the use or attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and includes biological agents and toxins in its definition. Former federal prosecutor Dennis Fitzpatrick described the move as largely symbolic, arguing that existing drug trafficking statutes are sufficient and warning that redefining fentanyl as a WMD could complicate prosecutions.

The designation comes as fentanyl remains the leading cause of overdose deaths in the US, despite a reported overall decline in drug fatalities last year. Mexico remains the primary source of illicit fentanyl entering the country, with many precursor chemicals originating in China.