By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 15, 2025 — President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), citing the drug as both a public health and national security threat.
In the order, Trump emphasized the extreme lethality of fentanyl, noting that just two milligrams — roughly the size of 10 to 15 grains of table salt — can be fatal. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses,” the order states.
The directive frames the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl as a threat to U.S. security, pointing to the involvement of organized criminal networks and foreign terrorist organizations. According to the order, these groups use fentanyl sales to fund operations that include violent crime, assassinations, terrorist acts, and insurgencies worldwide. The order also highlights ongoing cartel violence over territory and the potential for fentanyl to be used in large-scale terror attacks.
To address the threat, the order outlines several key actions:
- Law Enforcement: The Attorney General will immediately pursue investigations and prosecutions related to fentanyl trafficking, including criminal charges and sentencing enhancements.
- Financial Measures: The Secretaries of State and Treasury are tasked with targeting assets and financial institutions tied to the manufacture and sale of illicit fentanyl.
- Military Support: The Secretary of War, in consultation with Homeland Security, will update Armed Forces directives for chemical incidents to include fentanyl. Military resources may also be made available to the Department of Justice for enforcement purposes.
- Intelligence and Homeland Security: Homeland Security will work with other agencies to identify fentanyl-related threat networks using WMD and nonproliferation intelligence.
The executive order defines illicit fentanyl as fentanyl produced or distributed in violation of federal law and identifies core precursor chemicals, such as Piperidone-based substances, as key components in its manufacture.
The order notes that it does not create enforceable rights for private parties and will be implemented consistent with applicable law and available funding. The Department of Justice will cover the costs of publishing the order.
“As President of the United States, my highest duty is the defense of the country and its citizens,” the order states, underscoring the administration’s approach of treating fentanyl as not just a drug crisis, but a national security concern.