Flanked by city leaders and local law enforcement officials, federal agents announced joint efforts, called “All Hands on Deck,” to stop fentanyl sales and reduce violent crime, in a press conference in San Francisco on Nov. 2.
“The Tenderloin [neighborhood] has become ground zero for drug tourism,” Brian Clark, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge, said during the press conference. “On average, we lose three lives a day to drug poisoning from sales connected to this area.”
According to authorities, more than 620 overdose deaths have occurred in the city so far this year, in addition to another nearly 9,000 overdose incidents where the victim survived. As such, they said more needs to be done.
“The community has said, loud and clear, that they are sick and tired of the death and destruction caused by this lawlessness,” Mr. Clark said. “As leaders in law enforcement, I can tell you we are working tirelessly to hold accountable the people responsible for this devastation.”
In collaboration with local law enforcement, federal agencies said they will target dealers operating in the city, with special attention paid to the Tenderloin neighborhood—known for high levels of drug activity and crime, situated blocks from Union Square—and the area near federal properties, including the Nancy Pelosi building located at 7th and Mission Street and the Philip Burton federal building and courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue.
Investigations will include wiretaps and undercover agents to arrest dealers on the street and in distribution networks, according to a Nov. 2 Department of Justice press release.
The new initiative builds on efforts between federal and state agencies that have seized more than 50 kilograms of fentanyl—enough to kill 25 million people, according to DEA calculations—and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine in the last four months.
“We’ve seen an increased and significant presence from federal law enforcement taking on drug enforcement, and we greatly appreciate their partnership in this city,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said at the press conference. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney and his team and the DEA for dedicating resources to disrupting the flow of drugs on our streets and for their commitment to San Francisco.”
Brooke Jenkins, the city’s district attorney, welcomed the additional support and said that every legal resource must be used to address the fentanyl crisis.
“Current conditions on our streets are completely unacceptable and require all levels of government to work together to close open-air drug markets and hold suspected drug dealers accountable for the unprecedented death and addiction that their trade has wrought on our city,” she said during the press conference.
The focus of the announcement, led by U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey—who called the fentanyl problem in San Francisco an “epidemic”—was to notify the public and criminals that tougher enforcement tactics are coming, both on the street and in the judicial system.
Some fentanyl offenses that would receive little to no jail time in the state system will now be “fast-tracked” for federal prosecution where penalties are much more severe, he said.
“Law enforcement approaches traditionally applied to drug dealing in our neighborhoods simply have not caught up to the challenges presented by this new drug,” Mr. Ramsey said. “We in law enforcement are determined to double-down, triple-down, and take all necessary steps to prevent this poison from reaching our streets.”
Additional measures include bringing charges against individuals participating in money laundering schemes related to drug trafficking, increasing the number of searches and seizures, and utilizing “jump out” raids where authorities disrupt open air drug sales and arrest dealers in the act of committing crimes.
Local officials said such is necessary to protect the community.
“[We] will not tolerate people dealing drugs on our streets, and we will hold these dealers accountable, and sustain the effort over time,” Bill Scott, San Francisco Police Department chief, said during the press conference. “I want to thank our federal partners and our officers for their hard work in helping make our beautiful city safe for everyone to enjoy.”
