WACO, TX (FOX 44) – Governor Abbott announced his new campaign “One Pill Kills” in Waco today to fight the national crisis on fentanyl.

“It’s the most significant, deadly, pernicious illicit drug threat that I’ve ever seen,” said Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Safety.

Abbott has issued an executive order to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.

DPS will work with federal and local agencies to identify gangs that support cartels and will seize contraband to disrupt drug networks.

“Cartels need to understand if they are doing business in the state of Texas, every dime that they’re making, every location that may be hidden, we will uncover it, will root it out, and we will seize it,” said Gov. Abbott.

In McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara says the problem is growing in Central Texas and is for stopping the influx.

“They’re out there everyday with their drug dogs doing interdiction on the highway,” said McNamara. “We’re running search warrants on people that we believe have reason in the drug trafficking, human trafficking, so we’re never going to let up on them.”

Governor Abbott signed into law last session an increase on criminal penalties for making or distributing fentanyl.

Today he proposed a new law to classify fentanyl as a poisoning instead of an overdose.

“Because it is a poisoning, I want to make it a law that makes it murder for someone to knowingly provide fentanyl laced drugs that lead to somebody’s death,” said Gov. Abbott.

This would bump state jail felonies to first degree being federal.

Abbott is also asking the Biden administration to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.