"California continues the intensive work of keeping fentanyl out of our communities, helping law enforcement seize over 204% more fentanyl last month than the month prior," Newsom said in a news release Tuesday.
The task force was launched in 2022, when about 30 service members were deployed to the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Tecate and Calexico ports of entry. Following its 'initial success,' the task force doubled in size after receiving a $30-million federal investment to halt drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations and address humanitarian and security efforts, state officials say.
In October, the California National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force helped seize more than 1.7 million fentanyl pills. The effort comes after Newsom increased the number of service members earlier this year from 155 to 392 to halt the entry of fentanyl across state ports.
Some said the plan lacked specificity while others said it targeted low-income neighborhoods such as the Tenderloin. But Newsom assured critics that the partnership targeted drug traffickers and suppliers, not people experiencing substance abuse.
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