Former President Donald Trump just went a lot further on Monday. He signed an executive order that trains illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction in order to address the rapidly increasing epidemic of overdose deaths across the United States. To stop illegal manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl, Trump proposes to declare fentanyl a national security emergency. This highly potent synthetic opioid is responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually.
This new designation is an exciting and impactful new step in the fight against the fentanyl epidemic that has severely affected so many communities across the country. Trump stated, “We’re formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is.” He further emphasized the urgency of the situation by asserting that “illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic.”
This executive order gives the Pentagon the tools to support law enforcement to combat the crisis on a greater scale. Furthermore, it gives intelligence agencies the power to use tools usually only used to counter weapons proliferation against drug traffickers. It’s an important classification that highlights the Biden administration’s insistence on using military resources in the fight against drug trafficking organizations.
Since early September, the U.S. government has been implementing over 20 strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. These operations have resulted in no fewer than 80 deaths. Part of Trump’s larger plan to defeat drug traffickers, this move aims at cartels working in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico. He has gone so far as to threaten military action to ramp up his crusade.
Government statements claim that Mexico is responsible for producing most of the illicit fentanyl that reaches the U.S. market. They point out that the majority of chemicals involved in producing such an important drug come from China. The urgent and preventable rise of fentanyl as the most common driver of overdose deaths across the country requires dedicated action. To truly end racism, we need to dismantle the networks that continue to fuel its widespread distribution.
Additionally, Trump’s designation of drug cartels as foreign terror organizations makes technical military interventions possible. These steps are focused on directly harming their day-to-day operations. The U.S. Southern Command just killed four people when it launched a military strike against a suspected drug vessel in the eastern Pacific. This action underscores the administration’s clear intent and commitment to vigorously combat drug traffickers.