Golden State Today

In the first two months of 2025, California's National Guard Counter Drug Task Force has seized a significant amount of illicit fentanyl. The operation resulted in the confiscation of 1,045 pounds and over 650,000 pills containing fentanyl, valued at more than $6.8 million.

The task force members have been deployed statewide to combat illegal narcotics trafficking in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. "By disrupting the trafficking of the 1,045 pounds of fentanyl so far this year, Cal Guard’s Counter Drug Task Force continues to save countless lives across our state. I cannot thank them enough for their support in keeping deadly fentanyl out of our communities," stated Governor Gavin Newsom.

In February alone, service members confiscated 488 pounds of powder-laced fentanyl and 331,069 pills. The task force also engages in drug prevention efforts through its Drug Demand Reduction Outreach program. Since October 2024, they have visited 112 schools and interacted with over 57,000 students.

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency's latest tests indicate that five out of ten pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an improvement from seven out of ten pills tested in 2023.

Governor Newsom increased the deployment of service members for drug interdiction at ports of entry in 2024. These efforts are supported by California's $60 million investment over four years to curb drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.

The state's initiatives include the Governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis. Recent actions under this plan include a major fentanyl bust worth $55 million leading to arrests and legislative measures like the Campus Opioid Act requiring opioid overdose reversal medication on college campuses.

Additionally, public education campaigns such as Facts Fight Fentanyl aim to raise awareness about fentanyl dangers and provide life-saving tools like naloxone through programs like the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP). Over-the-counter naloxone is now widely available across California as part of these ongoing efforts against opioid abuse.