California is deploying additional National Guard troops to the border to combat fentanyl trafficking.
California Governor Deploys National Guard to Combat Fentanyl Crisis
California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken decisive action to address the fentanyl crisis by deploying 20 National Guard members to ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. This move aims to assist with fentanyl interdiction efforts and protect communities from the deadly poison.
“Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart,” Mr. Newsom said in a press release. “California is cracking down—and today we’re going further by deploying more CalGuard service members to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe.”
This deployment increases the number of National Guard troops assigned to the border from 40 to 60 at four checkpoints, according to the press release.
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The additional troops will support Customs and Border Protection efforts and narcotics search operations, including the use of vehicle X-ray machines to detect concealment of the drug.
In 2022, nearly 29,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized in California, with the majority intercepted at the border. This amount is enough to kill more than 6 billion people, based on Drug Enforcement Agency calculations, and has an estimated street value of over $230 million.
Although law enforcement experts estimate that less than 10 percent of all drugs smuggled across the border are intercepted, authorities confiscated almost 12,000 pounds of fentanyl by July 1, 2023, according to the press release.
Tragic circumstances resulting from opioid addiction have been reported by families across the state, with people of all ages succumbing to drug overdose. According to the Department of Public Health, approximately 6,000 Californians die annually from fentanyl.
Fentanyl’s lack of taste or odor makes it difficult to detect, and its toxicity is especially dangerous—a few grains can be fatal. Some dealers are even using the synthetic opioid to create counterfeit pharmaceutical pills and lacing street drugs with it.
The increased National Guard presence at the border builds on the $1 billion pledged by Governor Newsom to address the drug overdose problem. This commitment is in addition to the release of his master plan for tackling the fentanyl and opioid crisis in March.
According to Governor Newsom, the master plan includes cracking down on transnational organizations trafficking the drug and implementing harm reduction strategies to reduce overdoses and help those struggling with addiction.
While the majority of the $1 billion in funding is allocated for education and prevention efforts, $30 million is dedicated to National Guard operations. Additionally, $15 million will be used to establish a Fentanyl Enforcement Program in the Department of Justice to facilitate investigations and prosecutions.
The governor has also recently deployed the National Guard to assist with fentanyl interdiction operations in San Francisco, in a joint operation with the California authorities.
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