Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on December 15, 2025, designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemical as weapons of mass destruction, a move the administration says is aimed at confronting what it describes as a national security and public health crisis.
According to the White House, the order is intended to treat fentanyl not only as an illegal drug but as a chemical weapon that poses a direct threat to the United States. The administration stated that the designation allows the federal government to use broader legal and national security tools against those involved in fentanyl trafficking.
The executive order directs the Attorney General “to immediately pursue criminal charges, sentencing enhancements, and sentencing variances in fentanyl trafficking cases.” It also instructs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury “to pursue appropriate actions against relevant assets and financial institutions for those involved in or supporting the manufacture, distribution, and sale of illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals.”
Under the order, the Secretary of War and the Attorney General are directed “to determine whether the Department of War should provide enhanced national security resources to the Department of Justice as necessary during an emergency involving a weapon of mass destruction.” The Secretary of War, working with the Secretary of Homeland Security, is also directed to update chemical incident response plans to include the fentanyl threat.
The order further tasks the Department of Homeland Security with identifying fentanyl smuggling networks using “WMD and nonproliferation related threat intelligence,” reflecting the administration’s view that fentanyl trafficking involves organized and hostile actors.
The White House said the decision is rooted in the scale of fentanyl-related deaths in the United States. The administration stated that fentanyl has become “the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18–45.” It described illicit fentanyl as “closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” noting that “just two milligrams of fentanyl—equivalent to 10–15 grains of table salt—is considered a lethal dose.”
According to the administration, drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations use fentanyl profits to fund violent activities. The White House said these groups use the proceeds to support “assassinations, terrorism, and insurgencies.” It warned that “the potential for fentanyl to be weaponized for concentrated, large-scale terror attacks by organized adversaries is a serious threat to the United States.”
By designating illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, the administration said it is ensuring that “the full weight of the Federal government is focused, coordinated, and mobilized to confront fentanyl as the deadly chemical weapon it is.”
The executive order builds on earlier actions taken by President Trump during his current term. The White House said that “immediately upon returning to office, President Trump declared a National Emergency at the southern border” to gain operational control and combat drug cartels. The administration also noted that Trump designated eight cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13.
Other actions cited by the White House include imposing tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China over what it described as failures to address the flow of fentanyl, and authorizing military strikes to “stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and disrupt the narcoterrorists who are poisoning the American people.”
The administration also pointed to the HALT Fentanyl Act, which President Trump signed into law, permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. The White House said the new executive order represents “the next level” of that effort, aimed at dismantling cartels, stopping fentanyl trafficking, and protecting American families from what it calls a chemical weapon.
Follow the link below to the Official White House Statement:
