Trump Cracks Down on Fentanyl with Landmark Drug Law

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Trump Cracks Down on Fentanyl with Landmark Drug Law
JFontan

President Donald Trump delivered a powerful and emotional message on Wednesday as he signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, cementing fentanyl-related substances as permanently classified Schedule I drugs—the most strictly regulated under the Controlled Substances Act. Surrounded by families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning, Trump called the move a “righteous blow” against cartels, traffickers, and drug dealers.

The law marks a critical step in Trump’s ongoing efforts to fight back against the opioid epidemic that has devastated communities across the United States. At the East Room ceremony, he was joined by about 200 people, many of whom held pictures of children and relatives killed by fentanyl-laced drugs. Trump described the moment as a long-awaited measure of justice for families who’ve suffered through unimaginable loss.

“Today, we strike a righteous blow to the drug dealers, narcotic traffickers, and criminal cartels,” Trump declared to a sustained round of applause. “We take a historic step toward justice for every family touched by the fentanyl scourge.”

Trump also took aim at the previous administration, blaming former President Joe Biden’s border policies for enabling fentanyl to flood into the country. “The open borders nightmare flooded our country with fentanyl,” Trump said, adding that under his leadership, the Department of Justice has already seized more than 4,500 pounds of the substance—what he described as a new record.

In a deeply moving moment, several parents stepped forward to share their heartbreaking stories of loss. Gregory Swan, whose son Drew died from fentanyl poisoning, called the experience of speaking at the event the “honor of my life.” He described the day his son was born as his happiest, and the day he lost him as the beginning of a long, painful journey. But he also expressed gratitude for being part of a broader movement to raise awareness and fight back.

“We want to hit every school in America,” Swan said, speaking about his mission to educate youth about the dangers of fentanyl. “The kids are silent when they hear we lost somebody to this.”

Anne Fundner, who lost her 15-year-old son Weston, echoed those sentiments. Weston unknowingly took a fentanyl-laced substance under peer pressure. Trump personally held up Weston’s photo as Fundner began her speech, a gesture that clearly touched her.

“President Trump, for four years, we felt ignored,” she said through tears. “But you’ve changed that.”

Fundner highlighted Trump’s comprehensive strategy to fight the fentanyl crisis: from shutting down border entry points and sanctioning cartels, to closing shipping loopholes and pushing foreign governments to stop exporting precursor chemicals. “Today’s signing of the HALT Fentanyl Act is a lifeline for families across America,” she said.

Jacqueline Siegel, known for founding the nonprofit Victoria’s Voice, also spoke about the staggering toll fentanyl has taken on her family. She lost her 18-year-old daughter Victoria to a drug overdose in 2015—and just this year, her sister to a fentanyl poisoning on the same day her husband died of cancer.

“That day, my sister found out about my husband’s passing and did what she thought was a line of cocaine—it was fentanyl,” Siegel shared. “So I lost both of them in one day.”

Despite the grief, Siegel has turned her pain into purpose, committing her life to advocacy and public awareness.

The new law is widely supported by lawmakers from both parties, though Trump emphasized that it wouldn’t have happened without strong leadership and political will. By classifying all fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I, the law closes loopholes that previously allowed traffickers to tweak chemical formulas and avoid prosecution. Now, all variations will face the same harsh penalties.

As Trump builds on his second-term agenda, this law stands as a powerful signal: the war on drugs—particularly fentanyl—is back in full force, and this time, the administration says it’s going for the root of the problem.


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