California National Guard to Assist San Francisco in Fentanyl Crisis

KTVU reported that San Francisco has been struggling with its Fentanyl crisis. This prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to direct the National Guard and the California Highway Patrol to join the city's efforts to combat the fentanyl trade.

Between January and March of this year, there were 200 deaths due to accidental drug overdoses in San Francisco, the Chief Medical Examiner's Office reports. 159 of them were due to fentanyl, a highly addictive and cheap synthetic opioid.

Fentanyl created by Dr. Paul Janssen is a very potent analgesic. It is 50-100 times more effective than morphine.
Governor of California, Gavin Newsom said, " Two truths can coexist at the same time. San Francisco's violent crime rate is below major cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth, and more needs to be done to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis," on Friday. He also called fentanyl drug dealers on the street as “poison peddlers.”

According to the Governor's Office, the new operation will focus on convulsing the supply of fentanyl into the city "by holding the operators of large-scale drug trafficking operations accountable."

The governor gave the California National Guard the task of finding specialized personnel and resources to help with the analysis of drug trafficking operations, with an emphasis on breaking up fentanyl trafficking networks.

State expands law enforcement presence city-wide in hopes of mitigating crime linked to the fentanyl epidemic and reducing overdoses with potent synthetic opioids.

Mayor London Breed said in a statement: "Police and District Attorneys are joining forces to tackle the issue and step up enforcement, but more support is available to local authorities.
Newsome was seen strolling in the Tenderloin Neighborhood on Wednesday just after meeting with city officials.

Around 2021 Newsome imposed a state of emergency for Tenderloin to control deaths due to overdose. Tenderloin is one of the prime areas of drug use and homelessness
Mayor Breed also said that "With the governor's leadership and clear direction, state law enforcement can work with us to make a difference to the residents, businesses, and workers who live impacted every day."

There was no clear response from the state and city officials about places that are the priority and how resources will be distributed.
Stay tuned for more updates.