News

Mar 26, 2026

Governor Newsom announces CHP crackdown: 12,600 arrests, 6,400 stolen cars recovered, 25 million deadly fentanyl doses seized in two years

What you need to know: CHP's crime suppression teams have achieved significant results, including 12,645 arrests, 6,475 stolen vehicles recovered, 568 illicit firearms seized, and the confiscation of over 2,549 pounds of drugs, including more than 50,110 grams of fentanyl.

SACRAMENTO – Building on a surge in enforcement to remove dangerous weapons, drugs, and repeat offenders from communities across the state, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a significant update toward the work being done regionally by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to increase public safety.

In partnership with local law enforcement, CHP's crime suppression teams have delivered significant results in just two years – 12,645 arrests, 6,475 stolen vehicles recovered, and 568 illicit firearms seized. Officers have also confiscated more than 2,549 pounds of drugs, including over 50,110 grams of fentanyl—enough for more than 25 million potentially fatal doses.

This is about results. We're going after repeat offenders, taking illegal guns off the streets, and seizing deadly drugs before they can do harm. These teams are making communities safer in real, tangible ways, and we're doubling down on what's working.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Last year, the Governor announced ramped-up regional partnerships between state and local law enforcement to better target crime where it is most concentrated. Through dedicated regional efforts across San Diego, the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, the Central Valley, the Sacramento Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area, CHP officers are saturating high-crime areas and increasing public safety.

"The California Highway Patrol is committed to a proactive, intelligence-led approach to public safety," said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. "Through our crime suppression teams deployed across the state, and in strong partnership with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we are identifying, disrupting, and deterring criminal activity. This unified and strategic response is delivering meaningful results and enhancing the safety of the communities we serve."

Building on this momentum, the Governor announced in December 2025 the expansion of these CHP teams into Stockton, further strengthening enforcement efforts in the Central Valley and ensuring additional resources are directed to communities experiencing elevated crime challenges.

The state has backed these efforts with significant financial investment and deeper coordination with local partners, enabling faster, more targeted enforcement operations. The approach emphasizes visibility, accountability, and sustained pressure in the areas that need it most.

Notable enforcement actions

The CHP has carried out high-impact operations across the state—recovering stolen vehicles tied to organized retail theft rings, intercepting large-scale narcotics shipments, and removing firearms connected to violent crime.

In December 2025, CHP officers partnered with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office and other local agencies in Operation Consequences, a monthly multi-agency effort targeting serious crime. During the most recent deployment in San Bernardino on March 20, 2026, state and local law enforcement served 16 search warrants, made 63 felony arrests and 45 misdemeanor arrests. Officers also seized over two pounds of narcotics, including suspected heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl. Investigators seized 25 firearms during the operation, which included three ghost guns.

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On January 2 in Stockton, a CHP traffic stop for speeding led to the discovery of expended shell casings and three unregistered firearms. The driver and two passengers were arrested for illegal firearm possession. The driver was also charged with driving under the influence. All three were booked into San Joaquin County Jail.

On January 29, CHP officers searched for a black Nissan Altima involved in a robbery in Walnut, CA, with an unknown amount of cash reported lost. Callers indicated the vehicle was northbound. CHP officers in Bakersfield located the matching vehicle northbound on SR-99 south of Houghton Road. A stop was initiated, and officers recovered over $39,000. Occupants were turned over to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office (LASO) for further investigation.

On March 5, a CHP officer conducted a traffic stop in Santa Ana leading to the discovery of 35 pounds of methamphetamine, found with the help of a K9 unit. The driver and passenger were arrested on felony drug charges.

On March 13, CHP officers in Carlsbad stopped a vehicle on I-5 North for a mechanical violation and discovered one kilogram of fentanyl pills. The driver was arrested on felony drug charges.

On March 20, a CHP officer and their K9 partner conducted a traffic stop in East Sacramento. The K9 alerted to narcotics, leading to a search that seized nearly 9 pounds of cocaine. The driver was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Jail.

Between November 25, 2025, and March 20, 2026, CHP officers arrested 35 people for soliciting prostitution in San Diego and Orange Counties. While the CHP made several arrests with help from the Human Trafficking Task Force and local partner agencies, officers also provided resources to people involved in prostitution who asked for help before their release.

As these teams continue to expand and evolve, California remains focused on a coordinated, data-driven approach to public safety—one that prioritizes prevention, enforcement, and strong partnerships to deliver safer neighborhoods statewide.

New data show crime is down

According to new data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, crime is down nearly across the board in California year-over-year.

• Homicides: ↓ 18%
• Robberies: ↓ 19%
• Violent crime: Down in every major city reporting data
• Largest drops: Oakland (↓25%) and San Francisco (↓21%)

Compared to 2019 (the last pre‑pandemic year), violent crime across the same large California city police departments tracked in the MCCA year‑end surveys is down about 12% in 2025 — driven by robberies down about 29% and homicides down about 12%. Not every major jurisdiction is seeing California's same results: violent crime increased in Atlanta (+17%), with robbery up (+27%), and homicides rose in El Paso (+25%) and Omaha (+37%).

California's significant public safety investments

California has invested $2.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California's Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.

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In 2024, Governor Newsom signed into law the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history. Building on the state's robust laws and record public safety funding, these bipartisan bills offer new tools to bolster ongoing efforts to hold criminals accountable for smash-and-grab robberies, property crime, retail theft, and auto burglaries. While California's crime rate remains at near-historic lows, these laws help California adapt to evolving criminal tactics to ensure perpetrators are effectively held accountable.

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