WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order formally classifying fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction,” a sweeping move his administration says underscores the severity of the nation’s overdose crisis.
Trump signed the order on December 15 during a ceremony at the White House, where he also presented medals to service members involved in securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“No bomb does what this is doing,” Trump said from the Oval Office, pointing to the tens of thousands of Americans who die each year from fentanyl overdoses. “So we’re formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.”
What the Classification Means
While the full impact of the reclassification remains unclear, the designation places fentanyl in the same terminology used for chemical, biological, and radiological threats — a rare step for a narcotic.
The executive order describes illicit fentanyl as “closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” highlighting its potency.
According to the order:
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2 milligrams — roughly the size of a few grains of salt — can be lethal
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More than 80,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdoses in 2024
The Department of Homeland Security defines weapons of mass destruction as devices intended to harm large numbers of people. Trump administration officials have argued that fentanyl traffickers fit that description due to the scale of overdose deaths.
Part of Broader Crackdown on Drug Trafficking
The order comes as the administration steps up its anti-trafficking campaign, including airstrikes in the Caribbean on boats suspected of carrying drugs from Venezuela.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a classification officials say gives them expanded legal authority to target cartel operations abroad.
West Virginia Governor Praises Move
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey issued a statement applauding Trump’s decision, calling it a long-overdue action in the fight against fentanyl.
“So grateful for President Trump classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction,” Morrisey said. “As WV Attorney General, I helped lead this effort asking for this policy for years. As Governor, one of my first actions was to ask President Trump to implement this policy.”
Morrisey noted that while West Virginia has made progress reducing overdose deaths, additional federal action is essential.
“This policy change will make a big difference and stop more senseless death,” he said.
Nation Continues to Battle Fentanyl Epidemic
Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug in the United States, contributing to a historic spike in overdose fatalities over the past several years. Federal officials have said the drug is often smuggled in small, highly potent quantities that make it difficult to intercept — and devastating when it reaches communities.
The executive order marks the administration’s most aggressive step yet in framing the fentanyl crisis as a national security threat rather than solely a public health emergency.
