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By Hollie Silverman and Dan Gooding
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President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Monday that classifies fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction."
The president made the announcement ahead of a medal pinning for military members receiving the Mexican Border Defense Medal.
"There's no doubt that America's adversaries are trafficking fentanyl into the United States, in part because they want to kill Americans," Trump said. "If this were a war, that would be one of the worst wars."
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Why It Matters
The drug has been a focal point for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for the past few years, with overdoses linked to the substance growing rapidly between 2018 and 2022, although numbers have declined over the past year.
Studies and statistics have frequently shown that American citizens are heavily involved in the trafficking of illicit fentanyl into the U.S., particularly at the border with Mexico, but Trump has frequently focused on the roles of cartels and other foreign criminal organizations when speaking about tackling the issue.
What To Know
Trump spoke of the country's efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking through their drone attacks on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, as well as through diplomatic talks with China.
He said that these operations have led to a decrease in drugs being imported by sea by 94 percent, along with a 50 percent drop in the amount of fentanyl coming across the southern border.
"They've destroyed a lot of families, because when they lose their child, or even their child is heavily addicted, you lose that family, the family will never be the same. That's why today I'm taking one more step to protect Americans from the scourge of deadly fentanyl flooding into our country with this historic executive order," Trump said.
In an announcement shared shortly after by the White House, the executive order said that "illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic," and that hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that fentanyl overdose deaths peaked in 2022, with 72,776. That number dropped significantly in 2024, to 47,735. Overall, over a quarter million Americans died from fentanyl doses between 2021 and 2024, according to USAFacts and CDC data.
Designating the substance as a weapon of mass destruction links the issue with another move Trump made earlier in his second term—designating select cartels and criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), a move which allowed him to take tougher action against them for offenses including alleged drug trafficking into the U.S.
"The two cartels that are predominantly responsible for the distribution of fentanyl in the United States engage in armed conflict over territory and to protect their operations, resulting in large-scale violence and death that go beyond the immediate threat of fentanyl itself," the executive order read. "Further, the potential for fentanyl to be weaponized for concentrated, large-scale terror attacks by organized adversaries is a serious threat to the United States."
The order asks the attorney general, secretary of State, and Treasury secretary to conduct investigations, pursue "appropriate actions" against suspects, and implement sanctions where appropriate—all roles they currently perform.
It also called on the defense secretary—named in the document as the rebranded Secretary of War—to determine whether further actions are needed by his department against those linked with manufacturing and distributing fentanyl.
A December 2024 report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said that most illicit fentanyl making its way into the U.S. was being made in Mexico using chemicals from China, which were often shipped legally without controls in place.
A study by the libertarian Cato Institute last year found that 80 percent of individuals found with the drug at ports of entry between 2019 and 2024 were American citizens. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, now considered FTOs by the Trump administration, are some of the main manufacturers and distributors of the drug.
Lindsay LaSalle, the managing director of Policy at the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a statement to Newsweek: "Like people from all walks of life, I am deeply concerned about addiction, overdose, and the growing impact of fentanyl. Our elected leaders need to focus on what works in keeping people alive. This means more evidence-based treatment, overdose prevention programs, and healthcare.
"Instead, the federal government is cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the prevention and health services that work. Expanding war powers and designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction are extreme measures that not only incite conflict with other countries but are also distracting from the real solutions that could save and improve lives. We don’t need more grandstanding or violence. What we need is investment in what works."
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What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, speaking Monday in the Oval Office: "They've destroyed a lot of families. Because when they lose a child, or even if their child is heavily addicted, you lose that family. The family will never be the same."
David Bier, director of immigration studies at Cato, wrote in his analysis in 2024: "Drug trafficking organizations hire U.S. citizens because they are guaranteed the right of entry into the United States and are subject to less scrutiny at ports than individuals without citizenship."
West Virginia Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey, in a press release on Monday: “West Virginia has been on the front lines of the fentanyl epidemic. As Attorney General, I was one of the most vocal leaders in the country, urging federal action, filing briefs, sending letters, and pushing for fentanyl to be treated as the weapon it is. Those efforts included building partnerships and laying the groundwork that helped drive down overdose deaths.
“Today’s action validates what we have said all along, that fentanyl is more than a drug problem; it is a national security threat. I appreciate the president acting on this call, and West Virginia will continue leading the fight to protect our communities, hold traffickers accountable, and save lives.”
What Happens Next
It was not immediately clear what impact the executive order would have, but its aim is to give the U.S. more power to tackle the flow of drugs into the country, at a time when strikes have been carried out against alleged smuggling vessels out of Venezuela, fueling fears of wider conflict in the region.
Update 12/15/25, 4:55 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 12/15/25, 5:55 p.m. ET: This article was updated with statements from Lindsay LaSalle and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.
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