Fentanyl and the international criminal organizations involved in smuggling this lethal substance have been identified as significant threats to the national security of the United States. This assessment was presented on Tuesday by senior officials from the Trump administration to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that cartels were largely accountable for over 54,000 deaths in the United States due to synthetic opioids during the one-year period ending in October 2024. The U.S. Intelligence Community’s annual threat assessment for 2025, which was also released on Tuesday, provided a slightly different figure, estimating 52,000 deaths related to cartel activities. It should be noted that NPR was unable to independently verify these numbers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 84,000 individuals in the U.S. died from overdoses associated with fentanyl, methamphetamines, and other street drugs during that time frame.
At the hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), chair of the Intelligence Committee, observed that the Trump administration prioritized fentanyl as a major concern, ranking it above other threats from nations like Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Cotton highlighted that for the first time, the annual threat assessment has listed foreign drug actors as the top threat, citing the involvement of Mexican-based cartels utilizing precursors sourced from China.
The efforts of the Trump administration to spotlight the dangers of fentanyl were somewhat overshadowed during the hearing by an expanding scandal related to the use of a civilian messaging app, Signal, by officials for planning a bombing mission in Yemen.
Fentanyl first emerged as a prevalent street drug in the U.S. in 2012, overtaking heroin and prescription painkillers as the most perilous opioid sold by criminal organizations. During the first term of the Trump administration, deaths caused predominantly by fentanyl increased significantly, rising by over 30 percent in 2020.
In recent years, the devastation caused by opioids has decreased, with the number of fatal overdoses dropping by more than 26 percent from the peak in 2023 until the end of the previous year, according to recent CDC data. The Biden administration’s response to the crisis primarily focused on public health initiatives.
President Donald Trump has connected his tariff policies against Canada, China, and Mexico to his concerns over fentanyl trafficking, labeling cartels as terrorist organizations through an executive order and advocating for the death penalty for drug dealers.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, propose military actions targeting drug organizations within Mexico and other locations.
Sen. Cotton queried CIA Director John Ratcliffe during the hearing about the Chinese government’s efforts to prevent the export of chemicals related to fentanyl production. Ratcliffe indicated that there is nothing stopping China from intensifying efforts against fentanyl precursors and noted the involvement of companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party in the illicit production. He mentioned that more than six hundred related companies in China contribute to this industry, which generates over $1.5 trillion in revenue.
Last year, Biden administration officials reported progress in international collaboration with China and Mexico to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain, with evidence pointing toward reduced smuggling and fewer overdose deaths. However, Ratcliffe described China’s efforts in combating drug smuggling as sporadic and limited.
Drug policy specialists generally recognize the impact of cartels and other gangs on the worst overdose crisis in U.S. history, with significant involvement from companies in China and gangs in Mexico. Despite this, many experts are skeptical of the Trump administration’s approach of framing smuggling operations in military or terrorist terms.
Regina LaBelle, an expert on drug policy at Georgetown University and former interim director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Biden administration, remarked that addressing drug trafficking requires a sophisticated, complex effort, and that it’s unrealistic to eradicate drug gangs through military means.
Other experts expressed concerns that the Trump administration’s strategy could cause countries like China to reduce anti-narcotics cooperation. Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution noted the administration is under pressure to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, likening it to nuclear and biological weapons, which could further strain relations with China. Felbab-Brown suggested the administration’s quick moves to recast fentanyl as a national security or terrorist issue might create an environment conducive to U.S. military actions in Mexico.
