Trump recognises fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. This decision provides the US authorities with additional legal tools to combat the illicit trafficking of synthetic drugs and could have serious consequences for US policy towards China and the Western Hemisphere. This is reported by The Public with reference to Politico.
The executive order notes that fentanyl takes the lives of tens of thousands of Americans every year, and transnational criminal groups use its sale to finance activities that undermine US national security. During the signing of the document in the Oval Office, Trump said that drug trafficking is a direct military threat to the country.
According to the president, the volume of drugs arriving by sea has decreased by 94 per cent, although the bulk of fentanyl enters the US through land checkpoints. The administration attributes this to a tough migration policy and increased border security with Mexico.
Fentanyl is mainly produced by drug cartels in Mexico using chemical precursors from China. At the same time, production is also growing in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia. Small doses of this substance can cause massive overdoses in a short time.
Trump's decision is almost unprecedented and may lead to the expansion of the use of military force against drug trafficking outside the US, particularly in Venezuela, where Washington is already conducting a large-scale pressure operation against the Nicolas Maduro regime.
