California: CHP Found Fentanyl in San Francisco More than Enough to Kill City's Population

California Governor Gavin Newsom made a late Wednesday announcement revealing a significant seizure of fentanyl in San Francisco by the state's highway patrol, according to ABC News.

The amount confiscated over the past six weeks in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood and its immediate surroundings are so substantial that it could potentially cause fatalities nearly three times over the entire population of San Francisco.

Since the launch of a public safety partnership between the city and the state on May 1, the California Highway Patrol has successfully seized more than 4.2 kilograms of fentanyl. It is worth noting that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers just 2 milligrams of fentanyl to be a lethal dose.

To put it into perspective, a kilogram of this powerful synthetic opioid can potentially claim the lives of half a million individuals. Thus, the quantity seized in San Francisco has the alarming capacity to potentially endanger approximately 2.1 million people, as outlined in a press release issued by Governor Newsom's office.

Moreover, in the initial six-week period of this operation, the California Highway Patrol also confiscated over 957 grams of methamphetamine, 319 grams of cocaine, and 31 grams of heroin.

In addition to these significant drug seizures, the agency successfully executed 92 arrests, ranging from felony to misdemeanor charges. These arrests encompassed offenses related to fentanyl possession, illegal possession of firearms, driving under the influence, and domestic violence incidents.

California Governor Gavin Newsom Launches Campaign to Address Fentanyl Crisis

Following a thorough inspection of San Francisco's Tenderloin district in April, Governor Newsom initiated a comprehensive plan to address the fentanyl crisis, SF Gate noted.

The plan involves collaboration between the California Highway Patrol, the California National Guard, the city's police department, and the district attorney's office.

In an official release on April 21, Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of their proactive approach, stating, "We're taking action."

Through the newly established partnership, the initiative aims to allocate additional law enforcement resources and personnel to combat crimes associated with the fentanyl crisis; he continued adding that the primary objectives are to hold those involved in the illicit trade accountable, increase the presence of law enforcement personnel, and ultimately enhance public safety while restoring public confidence in San Francisco.

San Francisco has grappled with a severe fentanyl crisis for over a decade. Fentanyl, an immensely potent synthetic opioid, is known to be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and a staggering 100 times more powerful than morphine.

While the number of accidental overdose deaths in San Francisco declined between 2020 (725) and 2022 (620), there has been a recent upswing in 2023.

The city recorded 268 deaths from January through April due to accidental drug overdoses. Comparatively, the figure stood at 196 deaths during the same period last year.

Critics Lambaste California Highway Patrol for Stopping Cars to Crackdown Fentanyl in San Francisco

Critics of the California Highway Patrol's practice of conducting traffic stops for minor infractions to investigate motorists for more severe crimes have raised concerns regarding its use in San Francisco for aiding in drug busts, per SF Chronicle.

These critics argue that such tactics, known as pretextual stops, are employed when the city moves away from this approach.

However, no explicit indication from the mayor's office or the Board of Supervisors suggests that the CHP's involvement in combating open-air drug dealing could be more welcome.

Sara Shortt, the Treatment on Demand Coalition coordinator, expressed concerns about the CHP's operation, stating, "When we first saw the CHP coming in, that was our fear - that they would do an end-run around our local policies and laws."

She added, "And the second thing we feared was that this operation would cast a huge net and many people would get arrested who had nothing to do with the fentanyl crisis. I don't think making stops like this will solve the problem."

The coalition issued a statement criticizing police responses to the city's drug problem. As an alternative, they argued that putting more resources into volunteer rehabilitation services would be more beneficial.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: CHP seized enough fentanyl in SF to kill 2.1M people - From ABC7 News Bay Area