Delivering results at the border: Governor Newsom announces record $506 million in illicit fentanyl seized since launching counterdrug operations

What you need to know: In 2021, Governor Newsom launched a major expansion of California's border drug-interdiction operations, redirecting the California National Guard toward stopping fentanyl traffickers. Since then, those efforts have helped seize more than $506 million in illicit fentanyl. At the same time, intensified CHP enforcement statewide has led to 11,700 arrests, thousands of stolen vehicles recovered, and hundreds of illegal firearms seized.

SAN DIEGO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a record-breaking public safety milestone stemming from a strategy he launched in 2021: more than $506 million worth of illicit fentanyl seized through California's expanded border drug-interdiction operations.

Beginning in 2021, Governor Newsom directed the California National Guard to support drug trafficking, search-and-seizure operations, and intelligence-driven enforcement at ports of entry. Backed by a $30 million state investment, that approach is delivering historic results: CalGuard servicemembers assigned to the state's Counter Drug Task Force have supported the seizure of 34,357 pounds of fentanyl, including more than 50 million lethal pills, before the drugs could reach California neighborhoods. The seized fentanyl carries an estimated street value of $506 million.

Fentanyl is killing Californians every day - and we are meeting this crisis with action, not rhetoric. In 2021, we launched a focused effort to stop traffickers at the border and along our transportation corridors. The results are clear: lives saved, communities protected, and criminal networks disrupted.

Governor Gavin Newsom

These results are powered by a $30 million state investment, proposed by Governor Newsom and enacted in the state budget, to expand the Guard's drug interdiction efforts and strengthen coordination with High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs. Unlike recent chaotic federal crackdowns and politically motivated military deployments, California's approach is focused, lawful, and effective.

"The integration of dedicated state funding alongside our federal resources is a force multiplier, allowing us to surge personnel to critical ports of entry and deepen our support for our law enforcement partners," said Major General Beevers, Adjutant General of the California Military Department. This sustained investment ensures the California National Guard remains at the forefront of disrupting criminal organizations and protecting our communities from illicit narcotics."

CalGuard servicemembers are doing exactly what they are trained to do - supporting criminal investigations and using air and ground assets to stop transnational criminal organizations at ports of entry. These Guard members are embedded in cross-government task forces, working side by side with partners to disrupt fentanyl trafficking networks that prey on communities across the nation.

Trump stopped this critical work

These successful drug interdiction efforts were disrupted when President Trump illegally removed California Guard members from this mission and the Joint Task Force Rattlesnake wildfire mission, pulling them away from drug interdiction and wildfire prevention. After the Guard was returned to state control, Governor Newsom moved quickly to restore these operations and get service members back to protecting Californians.

California stops criminal activity - at the border and in our communities

Beyond the border, the California Highway Patrol is stopping criminals inside the state, ensuring dangerous drugs and weapons never make it to neighborhood streets. Through ongoing, targeted deployments of CHP crime suppression teams, officers are saturating high-crime areas, holding repeat offenders accountable, and taking weapons and narcotics off the streets. These collaborative regional crime suppression teams have made 11,700 arrests, recovered more than 6,200 stolen vehicles and seized nearly 500 illicit firearms, since regional efforts began in 2024.

"Drug trafficking and illegal firearms threaten the safety of every California community, but these results show the power of proactive enforcement and strong partnerships," said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. "By working alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, we are disrupting criminal networks, seizing record amounts of guns and drugs, and preventing violence and overdoses before lives are lost."

In partnership with local leaders, CHP teams are currently operating across San Diego, the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, the Central Valley, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay Area. In the San Diego region alone, since 2025, CHP has conducted 83 operations, leading to 404 arrests, the recovery of 29 stolen vehicles, and the seizure of 104 pounds of illegal drugs.

Saving lives

Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry. Producing illicit fentanyl is not an exact science, but an estimated two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person's body size, tolerance and past usage. About 225,000 deadly doses are in just one pound of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is being mixed into illicit drugs for potency, sold as powders, nasal sprays, or pressed into lethal counterfeit pills. Drug dealers are also mixing fentanyl with other drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, due to its potency and low cost, significantly increasing the risk of fatal overdoses.

As part of Governor Newsom's Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, over-the-counter CalRx®-branded naloxone is now available across the state. Through the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP), CalRx®-branded over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, is available for free to eligible organizations through the state or for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal.

CalRx's lower-priced naloxone led to a 22% drop in overall generic naloxone prices in one quarter. California has saved over $40.9 million in under two years with CalRx naloxone, reinvesting the savings to fight the opioid crisis. Through the Naloxone Distribution Project, California provides free naloxone to communities, first responders, and local agencies statewide, resulting in over 400,000 overdose reversals so far.

The state also launched opioids.ca.gov, a one-stop tool for Californians seeking resources for prevention and treatment, as well as information on how California is working to hold Big Pharma and drug-traffickers accountable in this crisis.

New data shows violent crime is down

Through more than $2.1 billion in investments to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety since 2019, the results are obvious - crime is down.

According to new data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, crime is down nearly across the board in California year-over-year. There's been an 18% drop in homicides, an 18% drop in robberies, and a 9% drop in aggravated assaults. Overall violent crime was down in each jurisdiction reporting data, with the overall largest declines in violent crimes being reported by law enforcement officials in Oakland (25%) and San Francisco (21%). Not every major city is seeing California's same results: violent crime increased in Atlanta (+19%) and Omaha (+4%), and homicides rose in El Paso (+26%) and Arlington (+20%).

How we got here

Last year, the Governor increased the number of CalGuard service members deployed to interdict drugs at U.S. ports of entry along the border by approximately 50%. CalGuard's coordinated drug interdiction efforts in the state are funded in part by California's $30 million investment to expand CalGuard's work to prevent drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.

In 2023, as part of California's Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.