Trump used U.S. deaths from fentanyl to justify the drug's new designation, estimating that up to 300,000 people die annually from the drug; that number is exaggerated. In the 12 months through April 2025, about 42,000 people died from synthetic opioids other than methadone, and most of the deaths were caused by fentanyl.

Trump signs executive order classifying fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction, marking historic shift in federal approach to deadly drug crisis.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday classifying “illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals” as weapons of mass destruction.

President Donald Trump has declared war on fentanyl by labeling it a “weapon of mass destruction.” The president signed an

President Trump has signed an executive order classifying "illicit fentanyl" as a "weapon of mass destruction." Surry County EMS officials say fentanyl continues to take a heavy toll in the community,