Enough Fentanyl to Kill More Than 50 Million People Seized in a Single Residence

Families Against Fentanyl Calls for US to Designate Fentanyl A Weapon of Mass Destruction

Akron, Ohio -- In response to breaking news of a massive seizure of carfentanil in California, Families Against Fentanyl is again urging the United States to address the national security threat of fentanyl and its analogues by designating the deadly chemicals as weapons of mass destruction. 

The Riverside County California police department reports that it seized 21 kilograms of carfentanil in a single residential seizure. “If mixed in with other drugs, the 21 (kilograms) of carfentanil seized could have been enough to potentially kill more than 50 million people,” reported the Riverside County DA’s Office in a press release. 

Bipartisan leaders including former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and former CIA Director John Brennan have joined with Families Against Fentanyl to warn of the national security threat posed by illicit fentanyl and urged President Biden to designate illicit fentanyl and its analogues as weapons of mass destruction. In the letter, the officials note that the "terrifyingly lethal" chemical that is being laced into street drugs resulting in thousands of deaths is also "a devastating chemical weapon. Additionally, FAF has a petition calling for a WMD designation that has amassed more than 15,000 signatures to date.

“Illicit fentanyl is killing our kids, it's killing adults, and it's a threat to all of us. Across America you would be hard-pressed to find a family that has not been touched by this crisis. Not only is illicit fentanyl being used to poison thousands of unsuspecting Americans, it is also a terrifyingly lethal chemical weapon capable of mass destruction in the wrong hands,” said James Rauh, founder of Families Against Fentanyl, who lost his son to fentanyl poisoning.

“It’s time for the U.S. to stop treating fentanyl as an ordinary street drug and instead recognize that it is a terrifyingly lethal chemical weapon capable of mass destruction. By designating fentanyl and its analogues as weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. can shift the fentanyl fight from small-time street dealers to the international criminal organizations that are manufacturing and trafficking illicit fentanyl. We must stop the flow of this deadly chemical into our country before we see even more deaths,” added Rauh.

Learn more at familiesagainstfentanyl.org

Media contact: press@familiesagainstfentanyl.org