W.Va. AG continues push to classify fentanyl as ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’

CHARLESTON, W.Va (WDTV) - West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says he will continue a push to classify fentanyl as a “Weapon of Mass Destruction.”

According to Morrisey, West Virginia had 1,194 fentanyl and other synthetic opioid deaths in 2021, a 10% increase from 1,083 in 2020.

Morrisey alleges state attorneys general are pushing for the Biden administration to classify fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, or WMD, because “Chinese chemical manufacturers are making and sending the raw ingredients to make fentanyl to Mexican drug cartels, which are … making and trafficking fentanyl on an industrial scale.”

Morrisey also said fentanyl is an ideal choice as a chemical weapon because of the low cost of production, inherent lethality and vast availability.

Classifying fentanyl as a WMD would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration to coordinate a response with other agencies, including the Department of Defense, according to Morrisey.

Morrisey said he will continue to fight for those who have died from fentanyl, further saying the stakes are too high and failure is not an option.

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