Surrounded by parents whose children died of fentanyl overdoses, President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill mandating longer minimum sentences for traffickers of fentanyl-like substances.

“Today we strike a righteous blow to the drug dealers, narcotics traffickers and criminal cartels that we’ve all been hearing so much about for so many years, and very little has been done,” Trump said during the signing ceremony for the Halt Fentanyl Act.

The legislation classifies fentanyl as a Schedule I narcotics. Anyone caught trafficking the fentanyl-like substances face a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in federal prison.

“So we take a historic step toward justice for every family touched by the fentanyl scourge,” Trump said.

“We’ll be getting the drug dealers, peddlers and pushers off our streets, and we will not rest until we have ended the drug overdose epidemic…,” the president continued.

More than 48,000 people died from synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, claiming the former president’s policies contributed to the fentanyl epidemic.

“They did nothing. For four long years Joe Biden surrendered our borders to the most evil and vicious traffickers, networks … allowing foreign drug cartels to carve out a massive footprint on American soil,” Trump said.

He said the previous administration “either didn’t care or were just stupid people.”

Trump touted the 4,500 pounds of fentanyl seized so far during his second term.

The Halt Fentanyl Act takes aim at “the monsters who manufacture illicit fentanyl” and skirt legal restrictions by making minor variations to the drug recipe, developing even more toxic versions of fentanyl.

Anne Funder, whose 15-year-old son, Weston, died after taking fentanyl-laced pills in 2022, applauded the new legislation.

“It is a lifeline for families across America in keeping our families safe, and that’s what you always want — to keep America safe,” she said. “So thank you so much.”

Greg Swan, a Michigan father whose son, Drew, died of a fentanyl overdose, thanked Trump “for stopping the border crossings.

“Full stop, mic drop,” Swan said. “It was amazing what you did. We were being gaslit and you came and lit a fire to that story, and we’re a lot safer for it.”