Nearly 6 Million Fentanyl Pills Seized in California Since January, Governor Says

Fentanyl-laced sky blue pills known on the street as "Mexican oxy." Drug Enforcement Administration via AP

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced May 28 that nearly 6 million illegal fentanyl pills have been seized in California since January thanks to efforts by a state task force on drugs and other law enforcement groups.

“Illegal fentanyl has no place in our neighborhoods. California is tackling this problem head-on by holding drug traffickers accountable and increasing seizures, while at the same time expanding access to substance abuse treatment options and providing life-saving, affordable reversal medicine to Californians statewide,” he said in a press release.

The state’s National Guard Counterdrug Task Force has assisted local and federal authorities to intercept drugs across California, including along the southern border’s ports of entry from Mexico, with 5.8 million pills seized so far in 2024, according to the announcement.

April was the busiest month with 2.3 million pills seized, authorities said. During a one week stretch over 1 million pills and more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in San Diego County and at the border, according to a press release by the governor at the time.

Mr. Newsom increased the number of California National Guard officers near the state’s southern ports of entry last year by 50 percent to help stop drugs crossing the border, according to his office.

Such resulted in over 62,000 pounds of fentanyl seized, 1,050 percent more than that was confiscated in 2021 and 115 percent more compared to 2022.

A recently launched website, opioids.ca.gov, also now offers a “one-stop-tool” for drug prevention and treatment resources and updates on the state’s battle to hold pharmaceutical companies and drug traffickers accountable for the drug crisis, according to the recent press release.

Mr. Newsom also met with President Joe Biden in February to discuss border policy and immigration issues, and last October spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about addressing the transnational shipping of precursor chemicals that are used to create fentanyl, according to the same announcement.