(NewsNation) — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he’s increasing the number of California National Guard servicemembers working on drug enforcement at entry points along the California-Mexico border in an effort to combat the ongoing fentanyl and opioid crisis.
The number of CalGuard members stationed along the southern border will rise from 40 to 60 — a 50% deployment increase.
“Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is cracking down — and today we’re going further by deploying more CalGuard soldiers to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe.”
The increase aims to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents with X-ray and secondary inspections of vehicles crossing the border.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a majority of fentanyl is smuggled into the U.S. at ports of entry by U.S. citizens, not by migrants seeking asylum.
Newsom’s increased deployment plans build on his prior expansion of CalGuard-supported operations that last year led to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl in the state.
In 2020, CalGuard’s efforts helped law enforcement seize 28,765 lbs of fentanyl in California, an amount with an estimated street value of more than $230 million.