“Tariffs and strong borders have reduced the fentanyl coming into the United States by 30%.” — Donald Trump. Our verdict: Misleading.
Donald Trump said this at a White House press conference on 20 February 2026, responding to the Supreme Court's ruling on his tariffs. Rev published the transcript.
Our verdict
Misleading
Misleading. Fentanyl seizures at the border did fall sharply in 2025, by more than 30%, but seizures do not measure how much fentanyl gets in, and there is no evidence that tariffs caused the fall.
What we found
On 20 February 2026 Donald Trump said tariffs together with strong borders had reduced fentanyl coming into the country by 30%. The number he points to exists: US Customs and Border Protection seized about 46% less fentanyl at the US-Mexico border in 2025 than in 2024, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, and Reason put the fall at about 48%. But seizures are not a count of what enters the country. A fall can also mean smugglers changed routes or a smaller share was caught. The fall also began before the tariffs took effect, and the reasons for it are unclear, with lower demand and changes among Mexican suppliers among the explanations offered. The figure is real; the claim that tariffs and border policy cut the flow by that much is not shown.
The evidence
1 contradict and 1 support the claim, of 3 sources.
- Background
Trump said tariffs together with strong borders reduced fentanyl coming into the country by 30%, and later that fentanyl was down by more than 30%. [1]
- Supports the claim
CBP fentanyl seizures at the US-Mexico border were 11,486 pounds in 2025, down 46% on 2024; the reasons for the drop are unclear. [2]
- Contradicts the claim
Seizures fell about 48% from 2024 to 2025, but seizures do not show how much fentanyl reaches Americans, and the fall began before the tariffs. [3]
What we could not confirm
- How much fentanyl actually enters the United States, which no agency can measure directly.
How we checked
We read the transcript of the 20 February press conference and compared the claim with CBP seizure figures and analysis of them. We reviewed 3 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]Rev · Donald Trump Supreme Court Tariff (transcript)
- [2]WOLA · Weekly U.S.-Mexico Border Update: drug seizure data
- [3]Reason · 5 reasons to doubt Trump's boast about bringing down fentanyl smuggling
- [4]Photo: Daniel Torok / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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