California’s fentanyl task force helps seize over 1.7 million fentanyl pills in October
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~ SACRAMENTO - In the ongoing effort to combat the fentanyl crisis, California's fentanyl task force has made significant strides in seizing the lethal drug. In October alone, the task force, along with law enforcement partners, helped seize over 1.7 million pills containing fentanyl with a street value of nearly $12 million.

Governor Gavin Newsom praised the efforts of the task force and law enforcement, stating that their diligent work has resulted in a 204% increase in fentanyl seizures compared to the previous month. He also thanked the California National Guard for their support in keeping fentanyl out of communities.

The Governor's commitment to addressing the fentanyl crisis can be traced back to June when he doubled down on deploying the Cal Guard's Counterdrug Task Force by increasing the number of service members from 155 to nearly 400. This was followed by another increase in 2023 by approximately 50%. Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country through ports of entry by U.S. citizens.

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Funding for Cal Guard's coordinated drug interdiction efforts comes in part from California's $60 million investment over four years to expand their work in preventing drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations. This is just one aspect of Governor Newsom's comprehensive plan to tackle the fentanyl and opioid crisis within California.

The Governor's Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis includes aggressive steps such as supporting overdose prevention efforts, holding pharmaceutical companies accountable, cracking down on drug trafficking, and raising awareness about the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. The state has also launched opioids.ca.gov, a resource for Californians seeking information on prevention and treatment options.

In August, California launched the Facts Fight Fentanyl campaign to educate residents about fentanyl and how to prevent overdoses and deaths. As part of this effort, over-the-counter naloxone is now available across the state through the Naloxone Distribution Project.

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Governor Newsom has also been working with other countries to combat the transnational shipping of precursor chemicals used to create fentanyl. In October, he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about this issue, in support of President Biden's bilateral cooperation agreement with China on counternarcotics.

In other news, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) recently graduated 121 cadets - the largest class in two years - fulfilling the administration's goal of hiring 1,000 new officers. This will help strengthen their efforts to protect and serve communities throughout the state.

And finally, Governor Newsom announced several appointments, including Robert "Bob" Myers to the University of California Board of Regents. Myers brings a wealth of experience as an advisor for the Washington Commanders and a former NBA executive.

As California continues its fight against fentanyl and opioids, these recent developments show that progress is being made in keeping these dangerous drugs off our streets and out of our communities.

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