Trump Effect: Deaths from fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs plummeted after the offensive against the cartels

Deaths from fentanyl and other hard drugs plummeted in the last year thanks to President Donald Trump closing the border with Mexico, launching a campaign against drug cartels, and arresting traffickers of these lethal substances.

Deaths from synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl, fell from 48,913 in 2024 to 38,084 in 2025, according to CDC figures cited by the White House and reported by Fox News, representing a decrease of more than 10,000 deaths or 22%. The total number of drug overdose deaths fell by 14% during the same period, from 81,313 to 69,973.

The government shared these figures in honor of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, which was celebrated two weeks ago, noting the decline as evidence that its tough-on-drugs policies are preventing fentanyl from reaching American cities.

"President Trump targeted the cartels that profited from the deaths of Americans, secured our border to stop the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into our communities, and reactivated ICE to arrest illegal foreign fentanyl traffickers," stated White House spokesperson Lauren Bis.

In fiscal year 2025, compared to the previous year, there was a 45% decrease in fentanyl seizures nationwide, demonstrating that the supply chain is being disrupted and the amount of drugs reaching the US border is decreasing. Additionally, according to DEA data, 29% of the fentanyl pills seized that year contained a potentially lethal dose, down from 76% two years ago.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration shared the cases of 11 foreign nationals arrested who had prior fentanyl-related convictions. One case involved Julio César Pimentel-Germán, an undocumented Dominican national who had previously been convicted in Massachusetts for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, trafficking fentanyl, and a firearms offense.

In July 2025, Trump enacted the HALT Fentanyl Act, permanently placing fentanyl-related substances on Schedule I and providing federal prosecutors with a definitive legal framework to prosecute fentanyl analogs. The president then designated illicit fentanyl and its chemical precursors as weapons of mass destruction.