Over 1 Million Fentanyl Pills Seized Near San Diego Border

Heroin and fentanyl pressed into pill form. Courtesy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

In less than a week, over 1 million fentanyl pills and more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine were confiscated by authorities in San Diego County and at the U.S.-Mexico border, officials announced April 23.

“We are doing our job to keep illegal drugs off the streets of California. By working with our state, local and federal partners, we are continuing to crack down on drug trafficking in our communities,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release announcing the seizures.

The operation was conducted by the California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force between April 15 and April 21, according to the press release.

Last month, the governor announced the same task force helped seize another 1 million fentanyl pills in February, with nearly 600,000 confiscated at one of the state’s ports of entry to Mexico.

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 confiscated in 2021 and 115 percent more compared to 2022, according to the March announcement.

In February, Mr. Newsom met with President Joe Biden and other White House officials at the border to discuss border policy and immigration among other issues.

Last October, he also spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about addressing the transnational shipping of precursor chemicals that are used to create fentanyl, according to the same announcement.

Since he took office in 2019, the state has invested over $1 billion to combat opioid trafficking, opioid related overdoses, and to support and raise awareness for those with opioid addiction, according to the governor.