in effect
Executive Order 14367, signed December 15, 2025, is a presidential directive that formally designates illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals (such as Piperidone-based substances) as Weapons of Mass Destruction. It instructs multiple federal agencies to take specific enforcement and policy steps to combat fentanyl trafficking.
The WMD designation unlocks tools and frameworks normally reserved for chemical weapons threats, directing agencies to apply counterproliferation and nonproliferation intelligence resources to fentanyl smuggling networks. The Attorney General is directed to immediately pursue trafficking investigations and prosecutions, including seeking sentencing enhancements and variances. The State Department and Treasury are directed to pursue sanctions and asset actions against individuals and financial institutions supporting fentanyl manufacture or distribution. The Defense Department is directed to update its protocols for military response to chemical incidents on U.S. soil to include illicit fentanyl, and to assess whether Defense Department resources should be transferred to the Justice Department to support drug enforcement under 10 U.S.C. 282. The Department of Homeland Security is directed to use WMD-related threat intelligence to identify fentanyl smuggling networks.
Individuals and organizations involved in manufacturing, distributing, or financing illicit fentanyl supply chains face expanded federal prosecution, heavier sentences, and potential financial sanctions. Foreign entities — including cartels and organizations previously designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations — that produce or move fentanyl into the United States may be subject to additional State Department and Treasury actions. Federal agencies including the Justice Department, Defense Department, State Department, Treasury, and Homeland Security are directly tasked with new or updated responsibilities under the order.