The Governor’s Office announced Wednesday that nearly 7 million pills containing fentanyl have been seized in California, including at ports of entry at the southern border, since January.
In May alone, the California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force, which helps local and federal officials, seized 1,170,893 fentanyl pills and 986 pounds of fentanyl powder, according to a news release.
“California’s robust partnerships to tackle illegal fentanyl are leading to significant results time and time again,” Governor Gavin Newsom stated. “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 Task Force focuses specifically on gathering information to cut off illegal narcotics trafficking.
“Recently, Governor Newsom more than doubled the deployment of CalGuard servicemembers to crack down on fentanyl smuggling,” according to the news release.
The federal government also announced sanctions this month against cartel traffickers bringing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.