Trump Signs Executive Order Classifying Fentanyl as ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, escalating his administration’s rhetoric and posture against the synthetic opioid and the criminal networks linked to its distribution.

The order was signed Monday in the Oval Office, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, White House border czar Tom Homan, and other senior military and security officials present.

Speaking after signing the order, Trump said fentanyl’s impact rivals that of conventional weapons, describing it as a national security threat. “We are formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is,” he said. “No bomb does what this is doing.”

According to the executive order, the designation goes beyond labeling fentanyl as a deadly narcotic, citing its potential to be weaponized for “concentrated, large-scale terror attacks by organized adversaries.” The document states that illicit fentanyl is “closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” noting that as little as two milligrams—an amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt—can be lethal.

The order underscores growing concerns within the administration about the scale of fentanyl-related deaths and the role of transnational criminal organizations in trafficking the drug into the United States. However, it was not immediately clear how the new classification would alter federal policy, enforcement strategies, or the legal consequences for users and traffickers.

Traditionally, the term “weapon of mass destruction” has been used to describe nuclear, biological, chemical, or other threats capable of causing widespread and lasting harm to populations, infrastructure, or the environment.

Targeting drug cartels has been a central focus of Trump’s second administration. On his first day back in office, he designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists, moves aimed at expanding the government’s legal and military options against them.