Newsom Will increase Nationwide Guard Presence at Border to Curb Fentanyl Smuggling

Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced Thursday that the variety of California Nationwide Guard service members deployed at 4 ports of entry alongside the U.S.-Mexico border might be elevated in an effort to fight the circulate of fentanyl and different medicine into the US.

The variety of CalGuard service members might be elevated by 50% — from 40 to 60 troopers — at ports of entry that embody San Ysidro and Otay Mesa in San Diego County.

The governor’s workplace stated the expanded CalGuard presence would assist U.S. Customs and Border Safety brokers of their efforts to detect medicine.

“Fentanyl is a lethal poison ripping households and communities aside,” Newsom stated in an announcement. “California is cracking down — and at the moment, we’re going additional by deploying extra CalGuard service members to fight this disaster and hold our communities secure.”

As of July 1, the California Nationwide Guard has assisted within the seizure of greater than 11,760 kilos of fentanyl this yr, in response to the governor’s workplace, which stated a previous growth of CalGuard operations led to a 594% enhance in fentanyl seizures throughout California final yr. Newsom’s workplace stated CalGuard-supported efforts led to twenty-eight,765 kilos of fentanyl seized throughout the state in 2022.

— Metropolis Information Service