WASHINGTON, D.C. (Michigan News Source) – Fentanyl is now categorized as a weapon of mass destruction under the Trump administration.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order which stated, in part, “Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic. Two milligrams, an almost undetectable trace amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, constitutes a lethal dose.”
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The executive order continued, saying “The manufacture and distribution of fentanyl, primarily performed by organized criminal networks, threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders.”
In addition, Trump authorized the Secretary of State, Attorney General, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the Treasury to pursue criminal charges and utilize resources for enforcement.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s designation of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction comes “on behalf of every American who has lost a loved one to this deadly poison.”
NOW: President Trump announced he will classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.
This is yet another action in President Trump’s crackdown on fentanyl — on behalf of every American who has lost a loved one to this deadly poison.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) December 15, 2025
In Michigan, overdose deaths fell between 2023 and 2024. State data shows 1,877 overdose deaths in 2024 compared to 2,931 in 2023.
