Trump classifies fentanyl as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday classifying fentanyl, a drug 50 times more addictive and powerful than heroin, as a “weapon of mass destruction.” “No bomb does what this does. 200,000, 300,000 people die every year, that we know of,” the president said, referring to the tens of thousands of deaths caused by opioid overdose each year. This designation, which the Republican described as “historic”, significantly expands the powers of the US government to combat synthetic opioids, according to news agencies.

“This crucial step frees all the tools to fight against the cartels and foreign networks responsible for flooding communities with this deadly substance, the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45,” the White House said in a press release.

The signing of this executive order is a further step in the tightening of the anti-drug policy in which the Trump administration has been immersed since Trump’s return to the White House. One of the priorities has been the targeting of Mexican cartels, classified in February as foreign terrorist organizations, a measure which opened controversy over a possible American military incursion into Mexico.

The Mexican government has categorically rejected this possibility; Washington excluded him, while extending his hand. “If they want help, they have to ask for it,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And he added: “We’re ready to give them whatever help they need. Obviously, they don’t want us to intervene. We’re not going to take unilateral action or send U.S. forces to Mexico.”

But Mexico is not the only target in this fight against drug trafficking. The US government has also set its sights on the waters of the Caribbean Sea, where more than 80 people have been murdered in various attacks launched by the military against suspected drug trafficking boats. Several Democratic congressmen have already warned of the possibility that one of the attacks, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, violated international norms and could be considered a war crime. Trump assured that “soon” ground attacks would also begin as part of this “campaign against drug trafficking”.