California authorities have seized 8.8M fentanyl pills in 2024

Updated: Aug 30, 2024 / 05:03 AM CDT

FILE – This undated file photo provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah and introduced as evidence at a trial shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. Congress has voted to temporarily extend a sweeping tool that has helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl. The Senate on Thursday, April 29, 2021, approved legislation extending until October an order that allows the federal government to classify so-called fentanyl analogues as Schedule I controlled substances. The drugs are generally foreign-made with a very close chemical makeup to the dangerous opioid. (U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah via AP, File)

(KTLA) — Amid California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to crackdown on fentanyl smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border, the number of pills seized by authorities has continued to grow throughout the year.

According to Newsom’s office, the California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force has seized 8.8 million fentanyl pills and 4,638 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2024. That’s about $40 million worth of the illegal, deadly drug.

“California’s work to address illicit fentanyl entering into our state continues to produce strong results,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’ll continue to address the opioid epidemic by all means necessary — including by getting fentanyl off our streets and providing communities with access to the treatment and life-saving medications they need.”

The task force responsible for seizing the fentanyl has focused on points of entry along the southern border. Newsom doubled down on the program in June, increasing the California National Guard deployment by 152% at the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Tecate and Calexico ports of entry.

As the governor’s office notes, most of the fentanyl smuggled into the country comes from U.S. citizens.