“Designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction”

“Designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction”1. Purpose and Policy (Section 1)Illicit fentanyl is described as:Production and distribution by organized criminal networks, cartels, and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs):Notes the potential weaponization of fentanyl for large‑scale terror attacks.On this basis, the President formally designates illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).Heads of agencies must take actions to confront the fentanyl/WMD threat, including:Attorney General (2a):Pursue investigations and prosecutions into fentanyl trafficking.Use criminal charges, sentencing enhancements, and sentencing variances.Secretary of State & Secretary of the Treasury (2b):Take actions against assets and financial institutions involved in or supporting illicit fentanyl and precursor chemicals, consistent with applicable law.Secretary of War & Attorney General (2c):Consider whether the fentanyl threat justifies providing Department of War resources to DOJ for enforcing Title 18, U.S. Code, as allowed under 10 U.S.C. 282.Secretary of War & Secretary of Homeland Security (2d):Update all Armed Forces directives for response to chemical incidents in the homeland to explicitly include illicit fentanyl.Secretary of Homeland Security (2e):Using WMD and nonproliferation threat intelligence, identify threat networks related to fentanyl smuggling to support comprehensive counter‑fentanyl operations.“Illicit fentanyl”:“Core precursor chemicals”:The order:Does not limit existing legal authority of departments or the OMB Director’s functions.Must be implemented consistent with law and subject to available appropriations.Creates no enforceable rights for any party against the United States or its officers.Directs that publication costs be borne by the Department of Justice.Concludes with the formal signature:Donald J. Trump, The White House, December 15, 2025.2. Implementation Directives (Section 2)3. Definitions (Section 3)4. General Provisions (Section 4)