These CalGuard specialized narcotics teams are funded through a $30 million investment proposed by Governor Newsom and enacted in the state budget to expand the department’s existing drug interdiction efforts and deepen integration and support to High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) programs. This is exactly the work these servicemembers should be doing – instead of being unlawfully deployed by the President against their own communities.

So far this year, servicemembers, along with partner agencies, have helped seize 5,174.99 pounds of fentanyl, which is over 3 million pills, worth an estimated value of nearly $43 million. 

Since they started drug interdiction efforts in 2021, they have helped seize over 35,065 pounds of fentanyl and more than 51.8 million pills containing fentanyl, with a street value of more than $498.4 million. 

There are over 400 servicemembers deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and seize illegal narcotics. As soldiers have gotten back to doing important public safety work, it’s important to remember that an estimated 32% of CalGuard’s servicemembers dedicated to the Counterdrug Task Force were reassigned by the President to unlawfully militarize Los Angeles. 

Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry. Within the last year, Governor Newsom announced continued augmentation in staffing and enforcement of CalGuard’s illicit fentanyl operations. 

CalGuard takes counterdrug efforts to schools 

Through in-person outreach and understanding students’ beliefs about their own health, CalGuard servicemembers also help bring attention to the dangers of illegal and dangerous narcotics in schools throughout the state. Through drug prevention efforts in elementary, middle, and high schools in California, CalGuard’s Drug Demand Reduction Outreach program in October has visited 73 schools and reached 24,673 students.

CalGuard’s helps give back to the community

On top of the work CalGuard does to bring down dangerous drug rings, CalGuard helps the state through humanitarian crises. For 40 consecutive days, more than 100 servicemembers have processed nearly 8 million pounds of food and served over 6 million meals – similar to their actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

All of this to provide food as benefits were delayed for 5.5 million Californians – the state, including CalGuard servicemembers, are stepping up to protect families from hunger. 

These servicemembers are also critical to help protect the state from natural disasters and emergencies, such as Task Force Rattlesnake. Joint Task Force Rattlesnake is made up of over 300 CalGuard members, who work at the direction of CAL FIRE to help fight and prevent fires. 

100 members of CalGuard are controlled by the President 

On June 7, for the first time in our country’s history, the President invoked 10 U.S.C. § 12406 to federalize a state’s National Guard over the objections of California. President Trump and Department of Defense Secretary Hegseth transferred 4,000 members of California’s National Guard—one in three of the Guard’s total active members—to federal control to serve in a civilian law enforcement role on the streets of Los Angeles and other communities in Southern California. California brought suit to challenge that unprecedented action. The litigation is ongoing.

Following a bench trial, a federal judge ruled in August 2025 that President Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act. This law restricts the military’s involvement in domestic law enforcement and was central to a lawsuit filed by Governor Gavin Newsom and the state of California against the Trump administration regarding the federalization and deployment of these troops. That ruling is on hold pending the federal government’s appeal.

Governor Newsom has warned that although California was the first to be targeted in this way, it would not be the last. The federal government has now renewed the federalization of these California guard members to at least February 2026.