U.S. border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday (22 October) that illicit fentanyl should at least be discussed as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD).
Speaking at Axios’ Future of Defense Summit, Homan highlighted the drug’s deadly toll, citing around 73,000 U.S. deaths annually, a figure he said was even higher during the Biden administration.
Homan recalled attending a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) briefing six months ago on classifying fentanyl as a WMD.
“When I left that briefing, it was my understanding they would push that recommendation up to the Secretary, but I’ve been out of it ever since.”
He also criticised drug manufacturers.
“They’re really trying to make money on their customers, and we’re not going to do that by killing them, right?”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized more than 380 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2024, with 2025 seizures totalling more than 262 million doses as of late September. Preliminary CDC data shows overdose deaths in 2024 fell 26.9% from 2023, the lowest annual level since 2019.
The DHS has considered labelling fentanyl a WMD since 2019, but legislative efforts have failed. This year, Rep. Lauren Boebert introduced the Fentanyl is a Weapon of Mass Destruction Act, directing DHS’ Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office to officially classify the drug as a WMD.
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Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action remains an option if talks fail. Meanwhile, U.S. forces said they fired a missile at a vessel trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran.
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps in protest against persistent congestion from heavy truck traffic and tourism.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is "outpacing containment efforts" amid conflict, weak disease surveillance and limited access to healthcare, according to London-based pharmacist and health commentator Thorrun Govind.
Australia has launched legal action against U.S. chemicals giant 3M, seeking more than $1.4 billion over contamination linked to firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals, widely known as “forever chemicals”.
The World Health Organisation has warned that the risk of a widening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has escalated to “very high” at national level.
A luxury polar expedition vessel linked to a hantavirus outbreak has arrived in Rotterdam, where health authorities have placed the final 27 people on board into quarantine and have begun containment measures.
Medical teams are being rushed to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a fast-moving Ebola outbreak that has already caused dozens of suspected deaths and raised fears of wider regional spread.
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