Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) called on President Joe Biden (D) to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction in a letter sent to the White House.
“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,” Moddy wrote. “Designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction would require the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration to coordinate with other agencies or parts of agencies including the Department of Defense about fentanyl.”
Moody’s letter offered context for how many Americans have died from opioid overdose. She said that over 75,000 Americans have died from fentanyl in the last two years, and 58,220 Americans died in the Vietnam War.
“I provide those numbers to give context to the stark carnage that this country is experiencing,” Moody wrote. “Fentanyl has hit the State of Florida hard, like many other states across this country, and the death toll is increasing at an alarming, exponential rate.”
Moody also heavily criticized the Biden administration for its lack of attention to the southern border and the illegal immigration crisis where much of the United States’ street fentanyl originated.
“In nearly two years that your administration has been in office, you have done little to abate this American tragedy,” Moody wrote. “Indeed, many of your policies have exacerbated the death toll needlessly wasting America’s youth.”
In Gadsden County, Florida, west of Tallahassee and on the Georgia state line, an uptick of fentanyl-related deaths led Florida first lady Casey DeSantis to host a roundtable discussion in the county discussing best practices going forward.
Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young said “fentanyl wasn’t in our vocabulary” prior to last weekend, indicating the unpreparedness to combat the deadly drug some counties might be facing.
Moody has previously called on more action from the Biden administration along with other states related to illegal immigration at the southern border and the subsequent drug infiltration many states are seeing.
Florida’s head law enforcement officer also called on Biden to enforce laws on the books back in January, seeing the likelihood of fentanyl making its way to Florida’s streets.
“The president’s illegal immigration policies have allowed a skyrocketing amount of fentanyl into the country, as deaths from opioids continue to increase nationwide,” Moody said in January 2022.
– – –
Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Ashley Moody” by Ashley Moody. Background Photo “Fentanyl” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
