Trump Administration Warns of Deadly Medetomidine Mixed with Fentanyl in US

The Trump administration issued a warning to Americans about medetomidine, a deadly sedative known as 'rhino tranquilizer,' appearing in U.S. communities.

Sara Carter, director of National Drug Control Policy, discussed the drug Monday on Fox News' 'Hannity.' "For the first time, we partnered with the CDC to issue an alert," she told host Sean Hannity. "We sent it across the country to warn first responders and doctors that we have medetomidine out there."

The federal health advisory states medetomidine is turning up more often in illicit fentanyl, which Carter said "kills." Seizures have risen since 2023, mainly in the Northeast and Midwest.

"Medetomidine represents a real threat to communities, and this once again reaffirms that the only safe level of illegal drug use is zero," Carter wrote in the White House alert.

Carter said the alert supports law enforcement efforts to stop smuggling. The administration used nationwide wastewater testing to spot the drug's rise early.

"We are going to stay ahead of our adversaries. We are not going to sit there and support policies that only benefit the drug cartels and our adversaries," she said. "We put a stop to that."

Carter highlighted President Donald Trump's "power through strength" approach against cartels. "What he says, he means," she said. "Whether you're talking to leaders in Central America or Mexico, like I have, or across the globe."

She pointed to operations like removing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and working with Mexico to take out cartel leader El Mencho. Those moves signal U.S. commitment to shield the Western Hemisphere from narco-terrorists.

"This is President Trump's promise to the American people: We will not relent," Carter said. "We'll not only remove the heads of the snake, we're going to remove their financing. We're going to hit them where it hurts most. We're going to pull the rug out from under them, and they will be struggling to survive."