California Seized Enough Fentanyl in 2023 to Kill Global Population ‘Twice Over’

Gov. Gavin Newsom said California seized 62,224 pounds of fentanyl last year, a 1,066 percent increase since 2021.

Heroin and fentanyl pressed into pill form as seen in a file photo. Courtesy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

Authorities in California seized enough lethal doses of fentanyl last year to kill the entire global population “nearly twice over,” according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

In a statement on Feb. 27, the Democrat governor said operations supported by the state’s National Guard, or CalGuard, led to the seizure of a record 62,224 pounds of fentanyl in the state and at ports of entry in 2023, marking a 1,066 percent increase since 2021.