Trump Declares Fentanyl a 'Chemical Weapon,' Experts Disagree Amid Global Threat

• President Trump issued an executive order on Dec 15, 2025, classifying fentanyl as "closer to a chemical weapon" and a potential tool for "large-scale terror attacks."
• This move is part of a militarized US drug war, designating cartels as terrorist organizations and elevating the fight against "narco-terrorists" as a Defense Department priority.
• Fentanyl, 100 times more potent than morphine, is primarily sourced illicitly from Mexico using precursor chemicals from China, with cartels synthesizing and smuggling it into the US.
• Experts like Jonathan Caulkins and Jeffrey Singer dispute the "chemical weapon" claim, arguing fentanyl deaths stem from opioid addiction and market demand, not deliberate weaponization.
• Past incidents include the 2002 Moscow Dubrovka Theatre gas attack and a 2018 Indian DRI seizure of 10 kg fentanyl, enough to kill 5 million, highlighting its extreme danger.

Why It Matters: Trump's "chemical weapon" fentanyl claim sparks debate as its global threat and illicit trade persist.