California Gov. Gavin Newsome has increased the deployment of California National Guard (CalGuard) troops along the state's border with Mexico by approximately 50 percent to combat the influx of fentanyl and other narcotics into the United States.
The additional CalGuard personnel will be deployed in five ports of entry along the southern border: Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, Tecate, Calexico East and Calexico West.
As the opioid crisis continues to take a heavy toll on American lives, with over 150 people dying from overdose and poisoning caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl each day, Newsom's "Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis" includes the involvement of CalGuard in supporting federal, state and local law enforcement in counter-narcotics investigations and operations. (Related: Data shows fentanyl addiction is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 49.)
"Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart," Newsom declared in a statement on Sept. 7. "California is cracking down — and today we're going further by deploying more CalGuard soldiers to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe."
According to Maj. Gen. Matthew P. Beevers of the California Military Department, who oversees a dual federal and state military reserve force, including 367 CalGuard service members, the number of guards will increase from 40 to 60 soldiers based on the estimation that 65 percent of the narcotics supply in the U.S. enters through the California border.
With a proposed budget of $30 million, the expanded CalGuard deployment seeks to further support federal narcotics search operations. This investment seeks to expand the existing anti-drug programs and support High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas programs.
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CalGuardsmen will assist with secondary vehicle inspections and x-rays of smuggled narcotics inside suspected trafficking vehicles. Given the additional deployment, vehicle X-rays will now operate nearly around the clock to increase the number of vehicles screened for narcotics.
At a press conference, Beevers highlighted the reported success of the CalGuard in assisting law enforcement in seizing over 11,763 pounds of fentanyl this year alone. Last year, the total fentanyl seizures in California reached 28,765 pounds, a 594 percent increase in fentanyl seizures with an estimated street value of more than $230 million.
GOP lawmakers, coalition of grieving parents demand harsher punishment for drug dealers
As Newsom deals with the never-ending fentanyl crisis, Republican lawmakers and a coalition of grieving parents have demanded harsher punishment for drug dealers.
The punishment, known as the "Alexandra's Law," was initially introduced by Democratic Sen. Tom Umberg, but it was struck down by the public safety committee of the Senate in April. However, Republican Assemblywoman Diane Dixon subsequently reintroduced the law in June and proposed it as a ballot initiative that would amend the constitution of California.
Currently, the proposed "Alexandra's Law" requires courts to warn fentanyl dealers that they could be charged with murder if their drugs lead to fatal overdoses. Republican members of the California Assembly tried to push for a vote on this law.
Meanwhile, a separate initiative launched by a group of parents affiliated with "Stop Fentanyl Dealers" and drafted by Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire seeks to hold fentanyl dealers more accountable by imposing more brutal prison sentences.
Gire's office achieved a significant milestone by securing the first murder conviction for a fentanyl-related death in the state. However, the group needs to gather 650,000 signatures from Californians if they wish to place their initiative on the November 2021 ballot. In short, this fight against fentanyl still has a long way to go.
Go to Opioids.news for more information about efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Watch the video below as Alex Jones exposes new casualties of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.
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