HSI San Diego welcomes California DOJ to multiagency task force to target fentanyl trafficking

SAN DIEGO — On Oct. 18, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) welcomed the California Department of Justice as the newest partner to the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST). The HSI-led task force targets fentanyl trafficked through the southern border and into San Diego County.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta made the announcement at a fentanyl roundtable he co-hosted with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas. The roundtable brought together local, state and federal leaders to discuss and collaborate on California’s efforts to end the fentanyl crisis. Bonta shared the California Department of Justice’s strategy to address the multifaceted crisis by collaborating on enforcement operations and seizures with law enforcement partners statewide, bringing billions of dollars for recovery services into the state by holding the opioid industry accountable and developing and implementing effective public policy solutions with legislative partners.

Fentanyl is a powerful and potentially addictive synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. A small amount of fentanyl — just 2 milligrams — can result in overdose and death. Fentanyl comes in different forms, including pills, powder and liquid, and is produced legally through the pharmaceutical market and illegally through the illicit drug market. Officials have found illicit fentanyl in many drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, counterfeit pills and cocaine. Fentanyl mixed with any drug increases the likelihood of a fatal overdose. Illicit fentanyl has also reportedly been produced in rainbow colors, potentially aimed at increasing consumption, especially among young adults.

In California, 5,502 people died due to opioid overdose and 3,946 died due to fentanyl overdose in 2020 alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation has experienced the overdose epidemic in three distinct but interconnected waves: An increase in deaths from prescription opioid overdoses since the 1990s; an increase in heroin deaths starting in 2010; and a more recent surge in deaths from other illicit opioids, such as fentanyl.

“California is all-in when it comes to addressing fentanyl and protecting the safety of our communities,” said Bonta. “Fentanyl is a threat to our communities as it is cheap, potent and very lethal. Fentanyl can be disguised in common drugs, and just a small amount is enough to potentially kill a user. We urge Californians — especially our youth — to steer clear of this lethal drug. We will continue working with law enforcement partners to address this crisis. I am proud today to announce our newest partnership as we join FAST, and confident that our investigative resources and legal support will help stop the flow of fentanyl into our state and keep it out of our communities.”

“This is a problem that demands a unified response from all segments of our society — government, healthcare, law enforcement and the community. Today, we are standing united to stop the misery that fentanyl is causing in San Diego and across California,” said Gloria. “In San Diego, we are sending the message to dealers that preying on our children, our families and people experiencing homelessness will not be tolerated — and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Attorney General Bonta for adding two prosecutors to the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team, known as FAST,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Tara McGrath. “FAST was formed one year ago and is already a model across the country. During its inaugural year, FAST led or supported more than 70 law enforcement operations resulting in the arrest of 53 fentanyl smugglers, distributors and dealers in San Diego County. Collaboration with partners like AG Bonta is a critical force multiplier in our fight against fentanyl.”

Bonta is addressing the fentanyl challenge through an all-in, multifaceted approach using ongoing enforcement, litigation and effective public policy strategies for prevention. The California Department of Justice works with law enforcement partners to take fentanyl out of communities and hold poison peddlers accountable. Since April 2022, the California Department of Justice has seized approximately 9,348,852 fentanyl pills and 1,213 pounds of powder. It has also made over 200 arrests. This includes a Placer County arrest leading to the first-in-the-state homicide conviction against a fentanyl dealer for providing a lethal dose leading to the death of a 15-year-old girl. In addition to this work, Bonta continues advancing effective public policy and working with national partners to hold the opioid industry accountable for its role in creating the opioid crisis and its impacts. To date, the California Department of Justice has secured over $32 billion through nationwide settlements, including $2 billion for California, bringing needed funding back to communities for treatment and prevention strategies.

By parting with HSI’s FAST, the California Department of Justice is committed to focusing on the flow of fentanyl from the California-Mexico border. HSI’s FAST is a multiagency task force, first established in August 2022 and focused on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl. San Diego County has experienced a 700% increase in fentanyl overdose deaths since 2016, linked to fentanyl — counterfeit pills and powder — being smuggled from Mexico into the United States. This multiagency task force uses traditional and advanced investigative techniques to target the individuals and criminal organizations involved in fentanyl smuggling and distribution. The California Department of Justice joins HSI San Diego, with full time partnership from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), Enforcement and Removal Operations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the IRS, the San Diego U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Escondido Police Department, and CBP’s Border Patrol.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.