California Governor Newsom recently announced that in order to strengthen efforts against illegal drugs and their smugglers, the California National Guard’s anti-drug task force will increase from the current 155 personnel to nearly 400. More personnel will also be deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border entry points to assist federal officials in combating drug trafficking.
The California National Guard stated that in 2022, the anti-drug task force of the National Guard dispatched 30 members to four entry points along the Southern California U.S.-Mexico border, including San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Tecate, and Calexico. Now, the anti-drug task force has expanded to a total of 392 full-time members.
According to the Governor’s office in a press release, the focus of the task force is on gathering intelligence, conducting criminal investigations using aerial and ground assets to support federal officials at border ports, and prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs.
The Governor’s office mentioned that nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths are attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. California is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies to purchase the opioid antagonist naloxone at approximately half of the market price and provide it for free to those in need.
Naloxone is a medication used to treat opioid overdoses, rapidly reversing the effects of drugs like heroin and fentanyl to save lives. Naloxone is typically administered as a nasal spray or injection, with brand names including Narcan, which can take effect within 2 to 5 minutes.
In a press release dated June 13, the Governor’s office also stated that the California government supports President Biden’s bilateral cooperation agreement with China on drug control. Governor Newsom had discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China in October last year regarding the transnational transport of precursor chemicals used in producing fentanyl.