7 million fentanyl pills, 3,700 pounds of power seized statewide this year

A statewide fentanyl crackdown that focused on ports of entry along the southern border has resulted in authorities seizing 7 million pills and 3,725 pounds of power since January, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

Last monthly alone, investigators seized 1,170,893 pills containing fentanyl and 986 pounds of fentanyl powder.

“California’s robust partnerships to tackle illegal fentanyl are leading to significant results time and time again,” Newsom said in a statement. “We will continue to take fentanyl out of our neighborhoods, hold drug traffickers accountable, and expand access to life-saving medicine to benefit all Californians.”

The California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force assists local and federal law enforcement agencies attempting to take the deadly drug off the streets.

The task force “continues to play an important role in the fight against fentanyl,” CalGuard Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers said in a statement. “We are proud to be a part of this effort and will continue to provide critical resources to our local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement partners.”

The task force gathers information to intercept illegal drug trafficking, using aircraft and ground assets to support criminal investigations as well as supporting law enforcement personnel at border ports of entry to stop narcotics trafficking.

“CalGuard members who serve with the Counterdrug Task Force are embedded in cross-government initiatives to combat transnational criminal organizations and the trafficking of illegal narcotics — like fentanyl,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

Earlier this month, Newsom more than doubled the number of CalGuard troops tasked with assisting the fentanyl smuggling crackdown from 155 troops to nearly 400.

The state has also launched opioids.ca.gov to help Californians find resources for addiction prevention and treatment and information on state efforts “to hold Big Pharma and drug-traffickers accountable in this crisis,” according to Newsom’s office.

As part of the governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, over-the-counter CalRx-branded naloxone — the anti-overdose medication — is becoming increasingly available statewide.

“Through the Naloxone Distribution Project … CalRx-branded over-the-counter … naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, will be available for free to eligible organizations through the state or for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal,” state officials said.

In 2023, Newsom raised the number of National Guard troops deployed to interdict drugs at U.S. ports of entry along the border by approximately 50%, according to the governor’s office.

CalGuard-supported operations resulted in the record seizure of 62,224 pounds of fentanyl last year, a 1066% increase since 2021, officials said, adding that drug interdiction efforts are funded partially by $30 million from the state budget for expanding CalGuard’s efforts to stop drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.

Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens, state officials said.

In support of the Biden administration’s bilateral agreement with China on counternarcotics, Newsom spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October about combating the transnational shipping of chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Last week, the federal officials announced sanctions against drug traffickers who bring fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.

“The U.S. Treasury Department leverages its expertise to fight illicit financing and financial crimes to disrupt the flows of money that criminal organizations rely on to operate,” state officials said.