Flordia Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging President Joe Biden to take drastic action regarding illicit fentanyl. Following two mass overdoses in Florida amid an increase in overdoses attributed to the deadly drug, Moody is asking Biden and Congress to take this threat seriously by declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.

This move would require the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and the Pentagon to work as a team to stop or slow fentanyl deaths. In a letter to Biden, Moody said:

“Given how many Americans are being murdered, the whole federal government and every tactic and capability that we have should be utilized to stop the death and destruction that fentanyl is causing.”

The United States government defines a weapon of mass destruction as a “nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device that is intended to harm a large number of people.”

Moody continued:

“Relying on non-state criminal actors and terrorist to think or act as expected is a losing proposition. The reality is that the deadliness of fentanyl combined with its sheer availability in Mexico to criminal cartels and non-state actors makes it an increasingly likely weapon for use.”

In May of 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation cracking down on opioid dealers and traffickers. All governors should follow DeSantis’ lead, given that opioid overdoses kill thousands of people annually (over 100,000 in 2021).

According to Fox News, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 10,586 pounds of the drug in Fiscal Year 2021. That is up from 4,558 pounds seized in Fiscal Year 2020 and 2,633 pounds seized in Fiscal Year 2019.

Fentanyl seizures increased 134 percent. In a statement by Moody, she said:

“Border Patrol has seized enough fentanyl to kill the entire American population many times over … With that in mind and the recent mass overdose events in Hillsborough and Gadsden Counties, I am demanding President Biden classify illicit fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction.”

1 MILLION counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl—thankful these deadly pills are off the streets now, but @JoeBiden MUST address the illicit substances that continue to flood across the border.

Remember, just #OnePillCanKill. https://t.co/Deo7Z49643

— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) July 15, 2022

She added:

“The federal government already works to disrupt the supply chains of other chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons—it’s not hard to imagine that similar tactics could be used to reduce the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S. through cartels in Mexico—and save countless American lives.”

Moody notes that securing the southern border would help stop the smuggling of fentanyl. But knowing the way the Biden administration governs, the chances of them securing the border are low.

“While there are many acts and steps that your administration could take, like stopping the overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants and further fortifying the southern border, I realize that your administration will not or is incapable of taking those actions.”

Recently, Biden mentioned efforts by his administration to interrupt human and drug smuggling. He noted that their actions resulted in 20,000 operations and more than 3,000 arrests in April.

If true, they must do more to stop fentanyl from pouring into America. Congress must act. Governors should follow DeSantis’ lead if they all want this fentanyl crisis to stop.