Executive Order
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Designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction
AI Summary:
This is a policy document - specifically an Executive Order issued by the President of the United States.
This regulation designates illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), treating fentanyl as a serious national security threat due to its extreme lethality and connection to organized criminal networks. The order requires multiple federal agencies to take coordinated actions to combat fentanyl, including the Attorney General pursuing criminal investigations and prosecutions, the Departments of State and Treasury targeting financial assets of fentanyl-related networks, and the Department of War and Homeland Security updating response protocols and identifying threat networks. The order defines "illicit fentanyl" as fentanyl manufactured or distributed illegally under the Controlled Substances Act and "core precursor chemicals" as substances like Piperidone that are used to create fentanyl. The regulation emphasizes the national security implications of fentanyl, noting that just two milligrams can be lethal and that fentanyl production supports criminal and terrorist organizations that threaten domestic and international security.