2:06Fentanyl drug with warning label.STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images.
When President Donald Trump classified fentanyl as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction," it provided the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with additional tools to tackle the substance in the United States, as stated by the agency’s leader.
"This designation is equipping us with more resources," Terry Cole, the DEA administrator, informed ABC News. "It's expanding our perspective to address this persistent poison that's entering the United States as a weapon of mass destruction."
The executive order that the president signed this week provides "guidance to the Attorney General, the State Department, the Department of War, and all to collaborate in fighting against this toxin that is arriving in our nation," Cole remarked.
Mexican drug cartels, he noted, "never rest," and protecting individuals from fentanyl is a matter concerning national security.
"At this moment, they are scheming, producing, and preparing to distribute and transport vast quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to the United States to poison our citizens," he stated.
The executive order signed by the president facilitates the allocation of more resources to counteract the influx of fentanyl.
Cole refers to the Mexican drug cartels as "designated terrorists," reflecting the administration’s terminology regarding the cartels.
Fentanyl drug with warning label.STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images.
"When we discuss the epidemic they have instigated in this nation, the loss of lives is immeasurable; the level of devastation they have caused is unparalleled, and we will treat them precisely as the designated terrorists they are. They are taking the lives of our citizens," he explained.
Cole, who was interviewed on Wednesday, was also questioned about the Trump administration’s stance on the rescheduling of marijuana, but he mentioned he couldn't provide commentary since the agency is still in the "deliberation process."
The following day, Trump enacted an executive order reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive federal classification that includes heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III drug, placing it alongside common prescription pain relievers like Tylenol with codeine.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com