Trump Signs Bill Strengthening Penalties for Fentanyl Trafficking

The new law mandates 10-year minimum prison sentences for those convicted of trafficking at least 100 grams of deadly opioid-related substances.

President Donald Trump holds up the "Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act," which strengthens prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers, after signing it in the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act on Wednesday during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. 

Also known as the HALT Fentanyl Act, the bill, which passed with bipartisan support, reclassifies substances related to the deadly opioid as Schedule 1 narcotics, the strictest designation established by the Controlled Substances Act.