California governor ramps up Cal Guard at southern border, aiming to curb fentanyl smuggling

(CN)  — Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced that more Cal Guard members will deploy to four U.S. ports of entry along the southern border in the fight against the fentanyl and opioid crisis.

The 50% increase to the California National Guard will bring the number of soldiers from 40 to 60. They’ll help U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents with narcotic searches using a vehicle X-ray system that detects the transport and concealment of drugs.

“Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart,” Newsom said in a news release. “California is cracking down — and today we’re going further by deploying more CalGuard service members to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe.”

Most fentanyl smuggled into the country at ports of entry is by U.S. citizens, not migrants, the Department of Homeland Security has said.

The drug is a synthetic opioid, like morphine but 50 to 100 times more powerful. Synthetic opioids are now the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths across the nation.

Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs by dealers. That’s because it takes very little of the drug to make someone high, which makes it the cheaper choice, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Over 150 Americans die each day from overdoses and poisonings in connection to synthetic opioids.

The increased deployment follows last year’s expansion of Cal Guard operations, which Newsom said led to a 594% rise in fentanyl seized in California. Those efforts in 2022 saw almost 29,000 pounds seized in the state, with an estimated value of over $230 million.

As of July 1 of this year, Cal Guard has helped seize over 11,760 pounds of fentanyl.

The efforts are funded with $30 million proposed by Newsom, included in the state budget to enhance Cal Guard’s existing drug interdiction efforts, and to heighten and support programs focused on High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

Starting next week the state Department of Public Health is also rolling out an opioid and fentanyl overdose prevention and education campaign, featuring ads on social media, radio, television, billboards and bus stops. It will include messages in English and Spanish.

In its first phase the campaign will focus on substance abuse prevention and awareness of fentanyl contamination, targeting people between 16 and 39 years old. It will be followed by an expansive campaign in summer 2024, which is expected to last through 2025.

“It is imperative that we continue to address the opioid crisis head on,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the public health department and state public health officer, in a news release.

“Each year, thousands of Californians die due to opioid-related overdoses. Our 2022 preliminary reports reflect nearly 7,000 opioid-related overdoses and just over 6,000 of those overdoses involved fentanyl. These are not just numbers, these are people who have families and are a part of communities across our state — the opioid crisis is impacting everyone. This campaign will be comprehensive and far-reaching, with an emphasis on the most at-risk populations in our communities.”