President Donald Trump signed sweeping new legislation Wednesday that he said will dramatically increase penalties for fentanyl trafficking.
The newly enacted HALT Fentanyl Act designates all fentanyl analogues as Schedule I substances under federal law, giving law enforcement expanded power to prosecute dealers and traffickers peddling synthetic versions of the opioid, according to The Hill. Trump signed the measure at a White House ceremony alongside families who lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses.
“We’ll be getting the drug dealers, pushers, and peddlers off our street, and we will not rest until we have ended the drug overdose epidemic,” Trump said. “And it’s been getting a little bit better, but it’s horrible.”
The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan backing and permanently classifies all fentanyl-like compounds as among the most dangerous controlled substances. That move closes loopholes previously exploited by cartels to flood the U.S. with altered chemical variants meant to dodge prosecution.
The HALT Fentanyl Act, first introduced in the Senate in January, includes provisions to ease research restrictions on Schedule I substances. It allows multi-site registration, waives certain inspections, and permits limited manufacturing without a separate license to help researchers study fentanyl-related compounds more efficiently.
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