California Says 37,000 Pounds of Fentanyl and Nearly 54 Million Pills Worth More Than $513 Million Have Been Seized Since 2021
On March 31, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in Sacramento that the California National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force has helped law enforcement seize 37,000 pounds of fentanyl since 2021, including nearly 54 million fentanyl pills, with a combined estimated street value of more than $513 million, all intercepted before reaching California communities.
The effort stems from the border drug-interdiction expansion Newsom launched in 2021: a $30 million state investment directing CalGuard members to support intelligence-driven interdiction at ports of entry, coordinated with federal, state, and local partners including High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs against transnational criminal organizations. California Military Department Major General Matthew P. Beevers said the Guard's members live and work in the communities they serve and bring capabilities that make a real difference to partners across California. Fentanyl is potent enough that just two milligrams can be lethal.
The governor's office also released other enforcement figures. In late February, more than 100 state, local, and federal officers, including Counterdrug Task Force members, carried out a months-long operation in Northern California known as "Operation Trash Panda," seizing 1,443 pounds of bulk methamphetamine and 1,270 pounds of partially processed methamphetamine worth about $4 million, along with 1,900 marijuana plants, about 107 pounds of processed marijuana, and 12 firearms. Over two years, the California Highway Patrol's targeted crime-suppression operations statewide have produced 12,645 arrests, 6,475 recovered stolen vehicles, 568 seized illegal firearms, and more than 2,549 pounds of confiscated drugs including fentanyl. In late 2025, the California National Guard also signed a letter of intent with Mexico's National Defense Secretariat (DEFENSA) to strengthen border security cooperation.
Source: Office of the Governor of California
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托的加州公路巡警总部大楼（资料照片），加州公路巡警是州长办公室本次公布的全州缉毒与犯罪打击行动的参与机构。Evan Beaver 摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons；加州固定图库。 / Photo: The California Highway Patrol headquarters in Sacramento, California (file photo); the CHP is among the agencies in the statewide drug-interdiction and crime-suppression operations covered by the governor's announcement. Photo by Evan Beaver, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; California fixed image library.
