Amid an ongoing opioid disaster, a particular process power of the California Nationwide Guard helped seize 1,542 kilos of fentanyl final month, with a road worth of about $11.9 million, Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced Tuesday.
The nationwide opioid disaster continues to plague California — whilst particular person counties report a plateau in deaths associated to drug overdoses.
State officers are responding by doubling staffing and investing tens of millions in the direction of a particular process power to take away fentanyl tablets, and different illicit opioids, from road gross sales.
In October, the California Nationwide Guard’s Counterdrug Process Power helped seize greater than 1.7 million fentanyl tablets. The hassle comes after Newsom elevated the variety of service members earlier this 12 months from 155 to 392 to halt the entry of fentanyl throughout state ports.
“California continues the intensive work of retaining fentanyl out of our communities, serving to legislation enforcement seize over 204% extra fentanyl final month than the month prior,” Newsom stated in a information launch Tuesday.
The duty power was launched in 2022, when about 30 service members have been deployed to the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Tecate and Calexico ports of entry. Following its “preliminary success,” the duty power doubled in measurement after receiving a $30-million federal funding to halt drug trafficking by transnational felony organizations and handle humanitarian and safety efforts, state officers say.
Final 12 months, the duty power and California Freeway Patrol have been deployed to San Francisco to assist police and prosecutors deal with town’s fentanyl disaster. Some stated the plan lacked specificity whereas others stated it focused low-income neighborhoods such because the Tenderloin. However Newsom assured critics that the partnership focused drug traffickers and suppliers, not individuals experiencing substance abuse.
In 2023, 810 individuals in San Francisco died from unintentional drug overdoses, in line with the San Francisco Workplace of the Chief Medical Examiner. About 540 individuals have died from unintended overdoses in San Francisco between January and October 2024.
The medicine most frequently reported in these deaths have been fentanyl, heroin, medicinal opioids, methamphetamine and cocaine.
In Los Angeles County, the variety of casualties decreased from 3,220 in 2022 to three,092 in 2023, in line with the L.A. County Division of Public Well being.
The slight drop is partially accredited to the group distribution of naloxone, a medication used to reverse the consequences of opioids and stabilize respiratory. About 5,000 overdoses have been reversed with naloxone as of 2022, in line with L.A. County Well being Companies.