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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India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has taken a significant step towards diversifying its crude oil supply by purchasing Colo...
Almost seventeen years ago, in December 2008, I worked with a film crew shooting a documentary on the Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict for Al Jazeera English.
A tragic train collision near Machu Picchu, one of Peru's most iconic tourist destinations, has resulted in the death of a train driver and left at least 40 others injured. The incident occurred on Tuesday, when two trains collided head-on on the railway that leads to the ancient Inca citadel, which
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 31st of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure, and injuring four people, including three children, according to regional authorities on Wednesday.
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last time this was done was during the deaths of Soviet-era leaders and the 1991 coup.
Protests in Iran over soaring prices and a plunging rial have spread to universities in Tehran, as students join shopkeepers and bazaar merchants in demanding government action. With inflation above 42% and the rial at record lows, unrest continues to grow across the country.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, rising casualties, economic struggles, and mounting unrest expose cracks in society. Despite Kremlin propaganda, frustration is growing as more Russians question the government’s narrative, according to The Washington Post.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has ordered all forces linked to the United Arab Emirates to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
European leaders held talks on Ukraine after Russia said it would revise its negotiating position, citing an alleged Ukrainian drone attack that Kyiv has firmly denied.
An international scientific-practical congress marking the 90th anniversary of the Azerbaijan State Advanced Training Institute for Doctors named after Aziz Aliyev has opened in Baku.
China has announced plans to fully cover childbirth-related costs for families as authorities move to incentivise young couples to have more children.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that he still hopes the U.S. administration will reconsider its decision to withdraw from the organisation next month, warning that its exit would be a loss for the world.
The United States has signed significant health cooperation agreements with Uganda and Lesotho, further strengthening bilateral relations and advancing global health initiatives, the U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday.
A viral claim circulating online that Denmark requires sperm donors to have an IQ of at least 85 is misleading. While one Danish sperm bank, Donor Network, does use an IQ threshold, there is no nationwide legal requirement for donors to meet a specific level of intelligence.
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