The California National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force has intercepted 39,644 pounds of fentanyl and 54.5 million fentanyl pills since 2021, with a combined estimated street value of $534 million, Governor Gavin Newsom announced.
The seizures are part of the state's broader public safety strategy, which combines law enforcement efforts with investment in addiction treatment and prevention. California has paired intelligence-driven enforcement targeting traffickers and major distribution hubs with investments in treatment, prevention, and naloxone distribution.
"Our National Guard members are proving this approach works, and we're pairing that enforcement with treatment, prevention, and naloxone to help Californians stay healthy and save lives," Newsom said.
In 2025, California reported measurable declines across all major crime categories. Homicide fell 18.6 percent, robbery fell 19.9 percent, property crime fell 14.3 percent, motor vehicle theft fell 25.8 percent, and violent crime fell 10.2 percent. California's homicide rate is now 3.5 per 100,000 — the lowest rate since statewide reporting began in 1966.
The state has also targeted other illicit markets, including illegal cannabis operations and intoxicating hemp products. California began enforcing its prohibition on kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine products months before recent federal action.