Trump brands fentanyl a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ in drug war escalation | Donald Trump
Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday designating fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction” and classifying the synthetic opioid as not only a lethal drug but also a potential chemical weapon.
The order also directs the Pentagon and the justice department to take additional steps to combat the drug’s production and distribution. This appointment comes at a time when the administration is using increasingly militaristic tactics to combat drug trafficking.
The move “unleashes a full range of tools to combat the cartels and foreign networks responsible for inundating communities with this deadly substance,” the White House said, warning that fentanyl could be used as a weapon for “intense, large-scale terrorist attacks by organized adversaries.”
“Illegal fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” Trump’s order said.
It’s unclear what immediate effects the order will have on national policy. It is already a crime to threaten or attempt to use weapons of mass destruction. Historically, a weapon of mass destruction has been defined as “a radiological, chemical, biological, or other device intended to harm a large number of people.” accordingly Department of Homeland Security.
The US president’s claim that fentanyl could be used as a weapon for “concentrated, large-scale terrorist attacks by organized adversaries” has raised skepticism from drug policy experts. “Neither terrorist organizations nor armies use fentanyl as a weapon,” said Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who researches drugs, crime, terrorism and violence. He told Stadium News. “It’s not clear to me that this is a threat.”
Trump’s order comes after the administration moved this year to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, justifying military action against them. Since early September, the Trump administration has launched more than 20 attacks on suspected drug ships in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing more than 80 people.
Military experts said drug cartels operating ships in the Caribbean often carry cocaine rather than fentanyl, which they ship to Europe rather than the United States. There is also little or no publicly disclosed evidence that the stranded boats were carrying drugs.
Still, Trump has repeatedly threatened ground attacks in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico to combat drug trafficking. In a comprehensive strategy document released last week, Trump said his administration’s foreign policy focus will be to reassert U.S. dominance in the western hemisphere.
Mexico is the largest source of illicit fentanyl bound for the United States. Most of the chemicals used in the production of the drug come from China. Opioids are the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States, but such deaths have been decreasing in recent years.
Still, Trump has repeatedly cited fentanyl as a major threat, trying to address the issue with trade policies and tougher criminal penalties for traffickers. Management is also Falsely accused undocumented people of fentanyl traffickingand used fentanyl to justify tougher immigration enforcement.
At the same time, public health experts have warned that the administration is failing to address the ongoing addiction crisis in the United States. Experts have attacked the Trump administration for cutting staff and resources from key federal agencies that oversee drug addiction treatment and policies. The administration has also moved to cut funding from some harm reduction organizations.
Law enforcement and public health experts have also warned that cuts to the Medicaid program, which provides health care to low-income Americans, could derail efforts to treat substance abuse disorders.
