Washington DC, Dec. 15 -- US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) signed an Executive Order officially designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction (WMD), escalating the federal government's efforts to combat the drug crisis and target cartels and foreign networks responsible for the opioid crisis.

According to the Fact Sheet issued by the White House, the Executive Order directs the US Attorney General to immediately pursue criminal charges, sentencing enhancements, and variances in fentanyl trafficking cases and also instructs the US Secretaries of State and the Treasury to take action against relevant assets and financial institutions linked to the manufacture, distribution, and...