Gavin Newsom is increasing the number of California National Guard members stationed along the border to stem the tide of drugs being smuggled – mainly fentanyl – from Mexico.
On Thursday, Newsom announced the number of CalGuard members stationed at the entrance will jump about 50% — from 40 to 60.
“Fentanyl is a deadly poison that tears apart families and communities,” Newsom said in a statement.
“California is taking action — and today we’re going even further by deploying more CalGuard troopers to fight this crisis and keep our communities safe.”
The added CalGuard personnel will also assist US Customs and Border Patrol agents with X-rays and secondary inspections of vehicles crossing the border, according to Newsom’s statement.
Newsom previously expanded CalGuard operations — sparking a staggering 594% increase in fentanyl seized in the state.
Officials believe about 65% of the narcotics supply in the US enters the country through the California border, according to Major General Matthew Beevers of the California Department of Defense, the Los Angeles Times reported.
At a news conference Wednesday, Beevers praised CalGuard for having “some incredibly successful operations this past year.”
Newsom on Thursday announced the number of CalGuard members stationed at ports of entry will increase from 40 to 60.AP
Additional CalGuard members will assist US Customs and Border Patrol agents with X-ray and AP secondary inspections of vehicles
In 2022, 28,765 pounds of fentanyl were seized by law enforcement in California; as of July 1, CalGuard has helped seize more than 11,760 pounds of fentanyl this year.
The anti-narcotics program gets $26 million from the federal government and $15 million from the state budget — a grand total of $41 million going toward the drug crisis.
“We recognize this as a unique challenge to California, and I think the additional $15 million the governor is really talking about getting after that,” Beevers said.
The program receives a budget of $41 million, receiving funding from the state and federal governments. JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The CalGuard staffing increase is set to begin Thursday.
The Golden State has long been affected by narcotics smuggling across the border from Mexico.
In particular, areas of northern California have sustained an increase in the flow of illicit drugs in recent years – including in cities such as Oakland and San Francisco, where open drug markets and narcotics tourism have made the area “unlivable” for many.
California has long struggled with illegal drugs being smuggled across the border. AP
San Francisco has also seen a “tidal wave” of fatal overdoses in recent months, with the latest data showing fentanyl caused 62 of 71 total OD deaths last month. The latest figures come on the same day a report concluded “City Hall is failing” its citizens there.
The overdose numbers have put San Francisco on track to break the 2020 record of 712 OD deaths.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
