California seizes 37,000 pounds of fentanyl since 2021

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(The Center Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced a public safety milestone: 37,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized since 2021.

That includes 54 million lethal fentanyl pills worth more than $500 million.

Newsom’s office said the fentanyl was taken before it reached California communities.

“While others chase headlines and deploy troops for political theater, California is doing the real work, stopping drugs at the border, saving lives and holding traffickers accountable,” the Democratic governor said in his announcement.

Since 2021, the California National Guard has supported efforts at ports of entry. This is part of a $30 million state investment proposed by the governor and enacted in the state budget.

California Military Department Major General Matthew P. Beevers said service members live and work in the same communities they serve.

“Whether that’s helping disrupt drug trafficking or standing shoulder to shoulder with firefighters on the front lines, it’s about putting the right people in the right place to protect Californians,” said Beevers in a press release.

But state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, told The Center Square that seizing 54 million fentanyl pills isn’t a victory. Strickland called it a warning sign of how much poison is still reaching our communities

“Californians don’t feel safe because fentanyl is fueling crime and addiction,” Strickland said Wednesday. “Too often, the bad actors selling this poison to our children just get a slap on the wrist.”

While the governor points to seizures, Strickland said “weaker enforcement and lenient public safety policies” allow the problem to continue on California's streets.

“We need real public safety leadership that backs law enforcement and holds dealers accountable,” said Strickland.

Strickland was the only Republican lawmaker to respond to The Center Square’s requests for comment. 

Newsom has said that he will consider running for president in 2028. Newsom’s second term as governor ends in January 2027.