Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homanrevived the debate about considering the fentanyl illicit a weapon of mass destruction (ADM), stating that “this possibility should at least be discussed.” His approach, made during an Axios media summit, occurs in a country where the Overdose crisis claims tens of thousands of lives each year.
Homan said that six months ago he participated in a Department of Homeland Security session (DHS) to analyze the viability of that classification. “I came away with the impression that They would send the recommendation to the secretary (Kristi Noem),” he said, although he has not heard from the process since.
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The idea coincides with the impulse of Republican legislators such as Lauren Boebertauthor of the initiative Fentanyl Is a Weapon of Mass Destruction Act, that seeks to force the DHS to formally evaluate its inclusion in said category. The argument is based on its lethal power: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Around 73,000 people die from overdoses each year. linked to this drug.
Deaths decrease but the crisis remains
Between January and September 2024the DEA seized more than 262 million potentially fatal doses. Although the deaths decreased 26.9% compared to the previous year —the lowest level since 2019—, the magnitude of the crisis keeps the pressure on.
In 2022eighteen state attorneys general asked President Joe Biden classify fentanyl as WMDclaiming that it meets three conditions: cause massive damage, have global reach and can be used by non-state actors. However, jurists and public health specialists warn that this comparison lacks legal basis.
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The O’Neill Institute of Georgetown University maintains that the proposal, although emotionally attractive, could divert prevention resources towards punitive strategies. The Congressional Research Service agrees that such a designation would not offer new legal tools and could weaken the health approach. MITER, a technology corporation that advises the government, described it as “strategic overreach” with the potential to affect the international relations of the United States.
What started as a public health crisis transforms into a national security issue. For Homan and his allies, fentanyl already acts as “a weapon in slow motion”; For health experts, The battle is not won with labels, but with effective prevention policies.
The post Tom Homan calls for treating fentanyl as a lethal weapon appeared first on Veritas News.
