U.S. President Donald Trump signed a historic executive order declaring fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction,” in a new effort to curb the synthetic opioid crisis that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in the country in recent years.
During an event held at the White House, Trump asserted that this drug poses a threat comparable to that of armed conflict, due to its devastating impact on the American population.
«Fentanyl is killing the United States»: Trump
In announcing the signing of the executive order, the Republican president maintained that the magnitude of the damage caused by fentanyl is comparable to that of a war.
«If this were a war, it would be one of the worst wars. “In the last five or six years, between 200,000 and 300,000 people have died each year from fentanyl«, Trump said.
The president dismissed the more conservative figures of around 100,000 deaths per year, asserting that the reality is much more serious.
Official data: More than 250,000 deaths from synthetic opioids
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 250,000 people died in the United States between 2021 and 2023 from overdoses related to synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.
These figures have made fentanyl the central focus of the debate on national security, public health, and immigration policy, especially in the context of the border with Mexico.
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Fentanyl and national security: «They want to kill Americans»
Trump claimed that fentanyl trafficking is not an isolated phenomenon but a deliberate action by adversaries of the United States.
«There is no doubt that they are trafficking fentanyl into our country, in part because they want to kill Americans», he declared.
The announcement of the executive order was made during an awards ceremony for military personnel involved in border security operations with Mexico, reinforcing the narrative that combating fentanyl is also a matter of national defense.
Trump boasts about reducing fentanyl trafficking
The president assured that during his administration there has been a 50% reduction in the amount of fentanyl crossing the border, although he acknowledged that the problem is not yet fully resolved.
«We have managed to reduce the figure to a much lower number. It’s not satisfactory, but it soon will be«, he said.
He also stated that China is working closely with the United States to reduce the production and shipment of chemical precursors used in the manufacture of fentanyl.
Mexican cartels are at the center of the accusations
Trump reiterated his accusations against drug cartels, particularly those in Mexico, whom he blames for distributing drugs and for the deaths of consumers on U.S. soil.
In 2024, the final year of Joe Biden’s term, 80,400 overdose deaths were recorded, representing a 27% decrease from the previous year and the lowest level since 2019, although health authorities still consider the figure alarming.
