Fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb? Trump classifies drug as 'weapon of mass destruction'

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) announced he was classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, escalating his administration’s crackdown on drug cartels across Latin America and framing the opioid crisis as a national security threat on par with nuclear and chemical weapons.

Deadlier than a bomb?

Speaking at the White House while signing an executive order, Trump said fentanyl was deadlier than any bomb. "No bomb does what this is doing -- 200-300,000 people die every year, that we know of".

The executive order places illicit fentanyl in the same category as weapons of mass destruction, arguing that its production and distribution threaten US national security and fuel instability across the region and at the country’s borders. The document states that fentanyl is "closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic," and that the manufacture and distribution of the drug "threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders."

Is fentanyl more dangerous than a bomb?

No, official data does not support the Trumps fatality figures. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country recorded an estimated 80,000 overdose deaths in 2024, with roughly 48,000 linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

However, the narrative aligns with Trump's broader campaign against what his administration calls "narco-terrorists." Since early September, the US military has carried out strikes on more than 20 suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, operations that have killed nearly 90 people. Trump has claimed each vessel destroyed saves 25,000 American lives.

Experts note, however, that most of the boats targeted are believed to be carrying cocaine, not fentanyl. The synthetic opioid largely enters the United States through land routes from Mexico, rather than maritime smuggling from countries like Colombia or Venezuela.

The strikes have been accompanied by a significant US naval buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the world's largest aircraft carrier and multiple warships. US military aircraft have also conducted repeated flights along Venezuela’s coastline in recent weeks.

Washington insists the buildup is focused on counter-narcotics operations. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of using drug trafficking as a pretext for pursuing regime change. The Trump administration has linked Maduro directly to the issue, accusing him of leading the so-called "Cartel of the Suns," which it designated a narco-terrorist organisation last month, and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.