Camilla Jessen
Trump: “No bomb does what fentanyl does”
President Donald Trump has announced a dramatic shift in U.S. drug policy, declaring fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction” (WMD).
The executive order is reportedly one of the most aggressive federal responses to synthetic opioid overdoses to date.
Fentanyl reclassified
“With the executive order I will sign today, we are officially classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which it is,” Trump said, according to AFP.
He argued that “no bomb does what this drug does,” claiming that “200,000 to 300,000 people die every year,” a figure much higher than official data.
CDC statistics cited by News.ro show that in 2024, the U.S. recorded 80,391 overdose deaths, with around 48,000 linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
The decree states that fentanyl “appears more like a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” describing its production and distribution, primarily by organized criminal networks, as a threat to national security.
Shift in drug policy
The announcement comes as part of a broader strategy to treat drug trafficking with the same urgency as terrorism.
Earlier this year, the U.S. designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations and expanded military operations targeting maritime drug routes in both the Caribbean and Pacific.
Trump said fentanyl trafficking “fuels anarchy” across the American continent and “at our borders.”
He also confirmed his administration is “considering” loosening federal restrictions on marijuana by reclassifying it as a less dangerous substance.
“Many people want this reclassification,” he said, arguing that the move would unlock research currently blocked under strict drug scheduling rules.
International tensions
Washington has accused Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, claims Caracas denies.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Venezuela since 2019 and increased pressure on Mexico, which the DEA says is “at the center” of the synthetic drug crisis.
Venezuelan officials argue the U.S. is using drug allegations as a pretext to undermine Maduro and seize access to the country’s oil reserves.
Sources: AFP; News.ro; CDC.
