The seizures, which amounted to approximately one ton, were made between late August and mid-November as part of multi-agency task forces that also resulted in 1,234 arrests.
During the first three months of the operation, California Highway Patrol officers deployed on extended anti-crime tasks throughout the state confiscated roughly 2,000 pounds of illegal substances, including considerable amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine, the department revealed Thursday.
According to CHP estimates, the seizures, which amounted to approximately one ton, took place between late August and mid-November as part of multi-agency task teams that also resulted in 1,234 arrests, the recovery of 216 stolen vehicles, and the removal of 54 weapons from circulation.
Among the most significant single busts noted by the agency:
– Nov. 14: Approximately 1,500 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $100 million, seized during traffic stops in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. Multiple arrests were made.
– Nov. 19: Five pounds of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine seized in San Francisco during an operation targeting a known dealer in the Tenderloin district. Two arrests and two vehicle impoundments followed.
– Oct. 9: Nearly 60 pounds of fentanyl recovered during a traffic stop in unincorporated Los Angeles County.
According to officials, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine were the most commonly seized drugs.
The surge operations, which began statewide in late summer, have concentrated on the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, the Inland Empire, and the Central Valley. CHP officers have collaborated with local police and sheriff’s agencies to implement intelligence-led enforcement in locations classified as high-crime corridors and open-air drug marketplaces.
Separate targeted sweeps in Bakersfield, Oakland, and Kern counties in October and November resulted in scores of felony arrests, more than 20 stolen vehicle recoveries, and the seizure of 61 pounds of unlawfully processed marijuana, according to the California Highway Patrol.
State officials portrayed the deployments as part of a larger campaign to combat retail theft, fentanyl trafficking, and car theft.