The Washington Post was blasted by the White House and conservatives across social media for claiming that it’s somehow a “mystery” why fentanyl seizures have plummeted under President Donald Trump’s border crackdown.
A piece titled “The mysterious drop in fentanyl seizures on the U.S.-Mexico border” has become a laughingstock and a prime example of the mainstream media’s inability — or unwillingness — to connect the most obvious dots in American politics.
The Post reported that monthly fentanyl seizures averaged 1,700 pounds in 2024 but have dropped to just 746 pounds in 2025. The massive decline illustrates the immediate impact of Trump’s aggressive border policies — something that left The Post completely dumbfounded.
“After years of confiscating rising amounts of fentanyl, the opioid that has fueled the most lethal drug epidemic in American history, U.S. officials are confronting a new and puzzling reality at the Mexican border. Fentanyl seizures are plummeting,” The Post wrote.
In response, the White House absolutely demolished the Post’s article, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson delivering a brutal comeback.
“The drop in fentanyl seizures at the border is only a mystery to Washington Post reporters suffering from Trump-Derangement Syndrome,” Jackson told Fox News. “Everyone else knows the simple truth: President Trump closed our border to illegal drug traffickers and Americans are safer because of it.”
Jackson also pointed out the timeline that The Post ignored: “As of March, fentanyl traffic at the Southern Border had fallen by more than half from the same time last year – while Joe Biden’s open border was still terrorizing America.”
The Department of Homeland Security also jumped in to mock the “mystery,” posting on X —
It’s no mystery. On day one, @POTUS Trump closed our borders to drug traffickers. From March 2024 to March 2025 fentanyl traffic at the southern border fell by 54%.
The world has heard the message loud and clear. pic.twitter.com/7RJVY8ISwS
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 2, 2025
“The decline is occurring even as the Trump administration has deployed thousands of troops to the border and expanded drone flights. With more boots on the ground, you’d think seizures would go up — not down,” The Post’s Mary Beth Sheridan wrote, unable to grasp that stronger border security has detered smugglers.
White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung perfectly captured the absurdity: “The Washington ComPost clearly suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome. They can’t stand that President Trump’s strong border policies have led to a DECREASE in fentanyl coming into the U.S.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was even more direct, simply calling the newspaper “pathetic” for its clueless reporting.
Conservatives across social media had a field day mocking the Post’s deliberate obtuseness. Rep. Tom Tiffany posted on X:
The Washington Post is reporting a “mysterious drop” in fentanyl seizures at the southern border.
Mystery solved!
The Trump effect is working. pic.twitter.com/tfEYNJOvo3
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) June 2, 2025
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk delivered an even more devastating takedown: “Four months into the Trump administration, The Washington Post is marveling at the ‘mysterious’ drop in fentanyl seizures on the Mexican border … Is the Post simply lying, or are their reporters as dumb as the people they’re writing propaganda for?”
Indeed, the numbers tell a remarkable success story on the U.S.-Mexico border. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, fentanyl seizures have dropped 50% since the November election. The decline coincides with a 95% drop in border apprehensions from April 2024 to April 2025, showing the comprehensive success of Trump’s border policies.
This isn’t just about drug seizures – it’s about saving American lives. Fentanyl killed 48,422 Americans in 2024 according to the CDC, making it one of the deadliest threats facing the country. Trump’s success in reducing fentanyl trafficking represents thousands of lives that will be saved.
Trump has deployed military forces to the southern border, designated cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” and hit cartel leaders with sanctions. He’s implemented exactly the kind of aggressive policies he promised during his campaign to wage war against fentanyl traffickers.
The numbers show Trump’s strong border policies are working exactly as promised, delivering dramatic reductions in both illegal immigration and deadly drug trafficking.
The only mystery is how The Washington Post expects anyone to take them seriously when they can’t acknowledge the most obvious policy success in recent memory.