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Apr 28, 2026

California's servicemembers seize $11.4 million in deadly fentanyl so far this year

What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced California National Guard servicemembers helped seize $11.4 million in illegal narcotics since January 2026, continuing the state's border strategy and enhancing public safety.

SACRAMENTO – Advancing the state's nation-leading border strategy to disrupt criminal organizations and keep communities safe, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force members have helped seize $11.4 million worth of illegal narcotics in the first three months of 2026.

Building on the Governor's border security and public safety strategy highlighted earlier this year in San Diego, CalGuard continues to work in close coordination with federal, state, and local partners to intercept the flow of illicit drugs and dismantle trafficking networks.

Since January, CalGuard members have supported law enforcement agencies in seizing 1,500 pounds of fentanyl and 713,000 pills containing fentanyl, with an estimated total street value of $11.4 million.

We're all-in to protect our California communities — cracking down on drug trafficking, strengthening our border strategy, and continuing to invest in the men and women of CalGuard who are on the front lines of public safety. The results speak for themselves: millions of dollars' worth of illegal drugs taken off our streets and real progress in disrupting the networks that threaten the Golden State.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Under Governor Newsom's leadership, California prioritizes fentanyl as a top public safety concern, deploying state resources to remove it from our streets. Working with state and local law enforcement, CalGuard analysts helped disrupt a trafficking operation involving approximately 1,500 pounds of fentanyl powder and over 700,000 fentanyl-laced pills—a single load potentially containing hundreds of millions of lethal doses. Just two milligrams, a pencil-tip amount, is considered a potentially deadly dose, and counterfeit fentanyl pills are linked to fatal overdoses across California.

In March alone, task force members contributed to the seizure of 663 pounds of fentanyl and 268,679 pills containing fentanyl, representing more than $5 million in illegal drugs taken off the streets in just one month.

Recently, CalGuard servicemembers participated in a San Bernardino County narcotics task force operation that resulted in an estimated seizure of approximately 188 lbs of fentanyl, 16.8 lbs of heroin, and 4.4 lbs of cocaine, with an estimated value of nearly $1.5 million. This effort helped to significantly disrupt a major narcotics trafficking network operating in Southern California.

"This operation underscores the vital role our Counter Drug Task Force plays in protecting our communities from illicit narcotics," said California Military Department Adjutant General Major General Beevers. "We are proud to stand alongside our Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement partners in keeping our neighborhoods safe."

Strengthening California's border efforts

These latest efforts build on sustained progress since 2021. To date, CalGuard's Counterdrug Task Force has supported the seizure of nearly 38,000 pounds of fentanyl and more than 53.5 million fentanyl pills, with an estimated total street value of $518.5 million.

This operation exemplifies the Governor's fentanyl strategy, combining record investments in treatment, prevention, and naloxone production and distribution with aggressive, intelligence-driven enforcement, and has resulted in the state taking entire pipelines of fentanyl out of circulation by focusing on traffickers and major distribution hubs, such as ports of entry along the border. These efforts prove that this strategy works on the ground – removing millions of potentially deadly doses from the supply chain and reinforcing Governor Newsom's commitment to using every tool to save lives.

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CalGuard service members are providing critical analytical, investigative, and logistical support to law enforcement operations statewide — helping identify trafficking patterns, support interdictions, and accelerate case-building efforts against organized criminal networks.

Task Force Rattlesnake: preparing for fire season

CalGuard's counterdrug mission is part of a broader commitment to protect Californians while responding to some of the state's most urgent emergencies.

In addition to supporting counterdrug operations, CalGuard plays a critical role in wildfire response and prevention, deploying highly trained service members to support firefighting efforts, emergency response operations, and community protection during peak fire season.

Recently, CalGuard's 146th Airlift Wing and its partner agencies began their annual Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) training to prepare for aerial wildfire suppression across California and the country. MAFFS helps convert military C-130 aircraft into aerial firefighting platforms capable of dropping 3,000 gallons of fire retardant. The training focused on rapid deployment, fire suppression support, and coordination with CAL FIRE and other emergency response partners.

As part of these enhanced readiness efforts, Task Force Rattlesnake continues to support California's wildfire response mission. More than 400 CalGuard members work under CAL FIRE to prevent and fight wildfires — a mission as critical to public safety as stopping fentanyl. Their Type 1 fire crews have responded to over 2,500 fires since 2020.

These dual missions reflect California's continued investment in CalGuard as a versatile, ready force capable of responding to evolving threats — both man-made and natural.

Saving lives

Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry and remains one of the deadliest drugs in circulation — just two milligrams can be lethal.

California is attacking the crisis from every angle:

• CalRx® naloxone – now available statewide at a lower cost
• $40.9 million saved and reinvested into opioid response
• 400,000+ overdose reversals through naloxone distribution
• opioids.ca.gov provides resources for prevention, treatment, and accountability

Read more about the work California is doing to address the overdose epidemic here.

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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