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The California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force has seized almost 4,638 pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 8.8 million pills containing fentanyl since January 2024.
These seizures are valued at nearly $40 million.
The task force helps local and federal partners take deadly fentanyl off the street, focusing on ports of entry along the southern border.
“California’s work to address illicit fentanyl entering into our state continues to produce strong results. We’ll continue to address the opioid epidemic by all means necessary – including by getting fentanyl off our streets and providing communities with access to the treatment and life-saving medications they need,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The task force focuses on gathering information to interdict illegal narcotics trafficking, utilizing air and ground assets to build criminal investigations, and supporting personnel at border ports of entry to stop illicit narcotics trafficking.
CalGuard members with the Counter Drug Taskforce are embedded in cross-government initiatives to combat transnational criminal organizations and the trafficking of illegal narcotics — like fentanyl.
In June, Newsom doubled down on the deployment of CalGuard involved in the task force by increasing the number of service members interdicting fentanyl and other drugs at U.S. ports of entry from 155 to nearly 400.
Last year, the governor increased the number of CalGuard service members deployed to interdict drugs at U.S. ports of entry along the border by approximately 50%.
The operations CalGuard supported resulted in the record seizure of 62,224 pounds of fentanyl in 2023 — a 1066% increase since 2021.
CalGuard’s coordinated drug interdiction efforts in the state are funded in part by California’s $30 million investment to expand CalGuard’s work to prevent drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations. Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry.
This adds to the governor’s efforts to address fentanyl within California, including by cracking down on fentanyl in communities across the state, including San Francisco.
Addressing the opioid crisis
California is taking aggressive action to end the fentanyl and opioid crisis. The Governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis provides a comprehensive framework to deepen the impact of these investments, including aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.
The state launched opioids.ca.gov, a one-stop tool for Californians seeking resources for prevention and treatment, as well as information on how California is working to hold Big Pharma and drug traffickers accountable in this crisis.
This week, California launched the Facts Fight Fentanyl campaign to educate Californians on the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent overdoses and deaths. This effort will provide critical information about fentanyl and life-saving tools such as naloxone.
As part of Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, over-the-counter CalRx-branded naloxone is now becoming available across the state. Through the Naloxone Distribution Project, CalRx-branded over-the-counter naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, will be available for free to eligible organizations through the state or for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal.
In support of President Biden’s bilateral cooperation agreement with China on counternarcotics, the governor spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October about combating the transnational shipping of precursor chemicals used to create fentanyl.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The California Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill safeguarding existing state statutes protecting Indian children, families and the rights of tribes in child welfare cases.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) authored the measure, AB 81, that makes changes to placement of children in Indian child welfare cases.
“We, as Native Americans, are all too familiar with governmental removal of Indian children from their families. AB 81 is aimed at fortifying the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, established in 1978 because large numbers of children were being removed from tribal families and placed in non-Indian families, away from their relatives and culture,” said Ramos.
“This bill helps to ensure that every effort is made to keep California Native American children in their communities,” Ramos added. “Last year the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decades-old ICWA law and the rights of Native families and communities. AB 81 adds another layer of protection against the travesties that compelled ICWA’s creation and future challenges.”
The lawmaker, the first and only California Native American elected to the Legislature, noted that the battle to protect ICWA brought back memories of the U.S. boarding school era when Indian children were forcefully separated from their families as a means to erase their culture and coerce assimilation.
A recent Department of Interior report found that almost 1,000 Native students died at the schools and suffered physical and psychological abuse.
AB 81 strengthens protections for California Indian children in the welfare and institutions code by requiring clear notice of proceedings to parents, direct lineal ancestors and custodians of the child, and the right to court-appointed counsel in any removal, placement, or termination proceeding.
It also enshrines the states duty to consult with local federally and non-federally recognized tribes regarding the placement of native children in their custody.
“We appreciate the ongoing work of Assemblymember Ramos to address tribal matters in our state. We also want to thank the Legislature for recognizing the importance of strengthening the Indian Child Welfare Act in California, and the Governor’s office for working with us to advance this critical legislation. Morongo has worked for many years at the state and federal level to protect tribal children and families, including our efforts in helping secure last year’s decisive U.S. Supreme Court victory upholding ICWA. AB 81 advances the essential rights of tribal children and tribes in child welfare proceedings,” said Morongo Band of Mission Indians Tribal Chairman Charles Martin.
“The California Tribal Families Coalition is grateful to the California Legislature for advancing AB 81 to the governor’s desk, and to all the tribes and stakeholders who provided input and support to pass this crucial bill that will safeguard state statutes that protect tribal children and families with policies that are comprehensive, consistent, and clear,” said Co-Executive Director of the California Tribal Families Coalition Blair Kreuzer.
AB 81 is also supported by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, ACLU California Action, and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) authored the measure, AB 81, that makes changes to placement of children in Indian child welfare cases.
“We, as Native Americans, are all too familiar with governmental removal of Indian children from their families. AB 81 is aimed at fortifying the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, established in 1978 because large numbers of children were being removed from tribal families and placed in non-Indian families, away from their relatives and culture,” said Ramos.
“This bill helps to ensure that every effort is made to keep California Native American children in their communities,” Ramos added. “Last year the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decades-old ICWA law and the rights of Native families and communities. AB 81 adds another layer of protection against the travesties that compelled ICWA’s creation and future challenges.”
The lawmaker, the first and only California Native American elected to the Legislature, noted that the battle to protect ICWA brought back memories of the U.S. boarding school era when Indian children were forcefully separated from their families as a means to erase their culture and coerce assimilation.
A recent Department of Interior report found that almost 1,000 Native students died at the schools and suffered physical and psychological abuse.
AB 81 strengthens protections for California Indian children in the welfare and institutions code by requiring clear notice of proceedings to parents, direct lineal ancestors and custodians of the child, and the right to court-appointed counsel in any removal, placement, or termination proceeding.
It also enshrines the states duty to consult with local federally and non-federally recognized tribes regarding the placement of native children in their custody.
“We appreciate the ongoing work of Assemblymember Ramos to address tribal matters in our state. We also want to thank the Legislature for recognizing the importance of strengthening the Indian Child Welfare Act in California, and the Governor’s office for working with us to advance this critical legislation. Morongo has worked for many years at the state and federal level to protect tribal children and families, including our efforts in helping secure last year’s decisive U.S. Supreme Court victory upholding ICWA. AB 81 advances the essential rights of tribal children and tribes in child welfare proceedings,” said Morongo Band of Mission Indians Tribal Chairman Charles Martin.
“The California Tribal Families Coalition is grateful to the California Legislature for advancing AB 81 to the governor’s desk, and to all the tribes and stakeholders who provided input and support to pass this crucial bill that will safeguard state statutes that protect tribal children and families with policies that are comprehensive, consistent, and clear,” said Co-Executive Director of the California Tribal Families Coalition Blair Kreuzer.
AB 81 is also supported by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, ACLU California Action, and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors heard an update on the plans to convert the former Lakeport Armory into the new Lake County Sheriff’s Office headquarters and approved the remodel’s plans.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing, along with Undersheriff and Sheriff-elect Luke Bingham, presented the update during the board’s Tuesday morning meeting.
The county obtained the armory, located on seven acres at 1431 Hoyt Ave., in a land swap with the state that was completed in January of 2022.
The state gave the county the armory in exchange for a vacant 15.5-acre property at 15837 18th Ave. in Clearlake which is to be used for an affordable housing development.
On Tuesday, Patty Esposito and Jimmy Ng, architect with Dewberry, the firm hired to work on designing the project, explained aspects of it.
Esposito said that on May 2, 2023, Dewberry had a kickoff meeting with county rep and sheriff’s stakeholders to look at what the project needed to succeed.
The facility is expected to be in use up to 40 years, and will need a flexible work space to accommodate staff growth over time. The goal is to have professional and inviting spaces, with natural light and durable and timeless fixtures and finishes, all while being budget conscious, Esposito said.
She said the existing building footprint is not large enough to accommodate all departments, so the emergency operations center will remain in its current location with plans to expand at a future date.
Esposito said they added a second floor to an existing large opening that is available, which can be used for training and large events, and will be available for future growth.
Ng said the project will include repaving and restriping to address Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. There also will be a new elevator to reach the second floor.
The floorplan includes space for the agency’s many departments: the civil bureau, records, finance, criminal investigations, evidence processing and storage, a fitness room and locker rooms, enforcement and patrol departments, briefing rooms and a booking station. The second floor will have room for meetings, training and office space.
Ewing said the cost estimate for construction is $16.7 million, which includes a $1 million contingency with solar power also factored in.
The cost with furnishings, fixtures and equipment, and audio visual equipment is expected to bring the total cost to $20 million, Ewing said.
He explained that the second story will not go above the existing roof and is a mezzanine within the existing armory bay. “We needed the space for expansion.”
Leaving out the mezzanine as a shell and keeping it for future buildout is cost effective and saves $1.5 million, Ewing said.
Bingham said that if that second story is needed in 10 or 15 years, building it then would upend the sheriff's operations. Having it included now in its basic form would mean less disruption.
He said the intention is to have training classes there and to make it available to county staff in other departments.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier asked about the current square footage in the sheriff’s office headquarters on Martin Street.
Bingham estimated that the current space is between 16,000 to 17,000 square feet, with the armory facility to be a little over 26,000 square feet with the second story.
Sabatier questioned waiting to build out the second floor. “We can only anticipate that that cost will increase as time goes on.”
He also raised issues about landscaping and having vegetation too close to the buildings. Ewing said the final plans would have to be approved by the fire marshal and Lakeport Fire Protection District.
Ewing reported that the federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding needed to complete the project needs to be dedicated by the end of this year.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska moved to approve the plans and specifications, which Supervisor Moke Simon seconded. The board’s vote was unanimous.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing, along with Undersheriff and Sheriff-elect Luke Bingham, presented the update during the board’s Tuesday morning meeting.
The county obtained the armory, located on seven acres at 1431 Hoyt Ave., in a land swap with the state that was completed in January of 2022.
The state gave the county the armory in exchange for a vacant 15.5-acre property at 15837 18th Ave. in Clearlake which is to be used for an affordable housing development.
On Tuesday, Patty Esposito and Jimmy Ng, architect with Dewberry, the firm hired to work on designing the project, explained aspects of it.
Esposito said that on May 2, 2023, Dewberry had a kickoff meeting with county rep and sheriff’s stakeholders to look at what the project needed to succeed.
The facility is expected to be in use up to 40 years, and will need a flexible work space to accommodate staff growth over time. The goal is to have professional and inviting spaces, with natural light and durable and timeless fixtures and finishes, all while being budget conscious, Esposito said.
She said the existing building footprint is not large enough to accommodate all departments, so the emergency operations center will remain in its current location with plans to expand at a future date.
Esposito said they added a second floor to an existing large opening that is available, which can be used for training and large events, and will be available for future growth.
Ng said the project will include repaving and restriping to address Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. There also will be a new elevator to reach the second floor.
The floorplan includes space for the agency’s many departments: the civil bureau, records, finance, criminal investigations, evidence processing and storage, a fitness room and locker rooms, enforcement and patrol departments, briefing rooms and a booking station. The second floor will have room for meetings, training and office space.
Ewing said the cost estimate for construction is $16.7 million, which includes a $1 million contingency with solar power also factored in.
The cost with furnishings, fixtures and equipment, and audio visual equipment is expected to bring the total cost to $20 million, Ewing said.
He explained that the second story will not go above the existing roof and is a mezzanine within the existing armory bay. “We needed the space for expansion.”
Leaving out the mezzanine as a shell and keeping it for future buildout is cost effective and saves $1.5 million, Ewing said.
Bingham said that if that second story is needed in 10 or 15 years, building it then would upend the sheriff's operations. Having it included now in its basic form would mean less disruption.
He said the intention is to have training classes there and to make it available to county staff in other departments.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier asked about the current square footage in the sheriff’s office headquarters on Martin Street.
Bingham estimated that the current space is between 16,000 to 17,000 square feet, with the armory facility to be a little over 26,000 square feet with the second story.
Sabatier questioned waiting to build out the second floor. “We can only anticipate that that cost will increase as time goes on.”
He also raised issues about landscaping and having vegetation too close to the buildings. Ewing said the final plans would have to be approved by the fire marshal and Lakeport Fire Protection District.
Ewing reported that the federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding needed to complete the project needs to be dedicated by the end of this year.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska moved to approve the plans and specifications, which Supervisor Moke Simon seconded. The board’s vote was unanimous.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
As Labor Day weekend approaches, California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways, or DBW, is reminding boaters to prioritize safety while enjoying the state’s beautiful waterways.
This holiday weekend is a popular time for recreational boating, and DBW encourages everyone to follow best practices to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience on the water.
“Safety should always be a top priority when boating,” said Deputy Director Ramona Fernandez. “Remember to wear your life jacket, observe waterway rules, and be mindful of other boaters. Responsible boating practices help ensure everyone can enjoy their Labor Day weekend while staying safe and having fun.”
Follow these safety tips for a safe and responsible time on the water:
Wear your life jacket: Ensure you have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket of the appropriate size and activity type for each person onboard. Children under 13 are required to wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while on a moving vessel. According to the U.S. Coast Guard recreational boating statistics, in 2023, 87 percent of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets.
Get your California Boater Card: Complete an approved safe boating course and obtain your California Boater Card. California law requires boaters 60 and younger to carry a California Boater Card. Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, all operators of motorized vessels regardless of age will be required to obtain and carry one while on the water. This includes personal watercraft (PWC), vessels with trolling motors, and sailboats with motors. Visit CaliforniaBoaterCard.com for more information.
Be prepared: Before heading out on the water, check weather conditions, file a float plan, and ensure you have the proper safety equipment, including life jackets, fire extinguishers, and sound signaling device. Refer to the ABCs of California Boating for more information on required equipment and other safety tips.
Avoid alcohol: Alcohol impairs judgment and reaction times. In California, it is against the law to operate a boat or water ski with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. Officers may also arrest boaters with a BAC of less than 0.08 percent if conditions are deemed unsafe. BUI convictions can result in up to six months in jail and/or fines of up to $1,000. Two convictions within seven years could add a jail term of up to one year. Boaters caught operating under the influence may also have their voyage terminated and their vessel impounded.
Observe waterway rules: Follow all posted signage and be aware of local regulations and boating rules.
Practice responsible boating: Maintain a safe speed, be aware of your surroundings, and respect other boaters.
Help keep our waterways clean: Implement clean and green boating practices such as always carrying oil absorbents on board and bringing everything back that you took out on the water including food, garbage, and fishing line.
For more information on safe and responsible boating practices, please visit the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways website at www.dbw.parks.ca.gov.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News reports