Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, middle, holds a press conference May 29 updating the public on recent fentanyl-related seizures and convictions with Attorney General Rob Bonta, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire and Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper. Photo courtesy of the Sacramento County DA’s Office

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - According to the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office, more than 200 law enforcement members between Yolo, Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yuba counties have participated in multiple operations to seize hundreds of pounds of fentanyl off the streets since 2021.

Cross departmental partnerships are necessary in the fight against fentanyl and even one death is too many, Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a press conference on May 29. He said the collaboration will not stop until the deaths stop. 

“The fentanyl crisis represents a public safety emergency and the poisoning epidemic,” Sacramento DA Thien Ho said at the press conference. “We are losing an entire generation.”

The death toll in the Sacramento region since 2021 has reached more than 600 individuals, Ho said, which is more than all gun-related homicides within a decade. Ho said that fentanyl does not discriminate and it does not care about the user’s background or experience. 

Fifty-one felony arrests have been made since 2021, Ho said, citing operations such as “Operation: Folsom Blues 2.0,” which saw the seizure of more than 1,000 fentanyl pills and tens of other drugs. 

Attorney General Rob Bonta said that more than 15-million fentanyl pills have been seized, more than 6,700 pounds of fentanyl powder confiscated and more than 500 suspects have been arrested. Photo courtesy of the Sacramento County DA’s Office

Deaths from fentanyl poisoning have been steadily declining since 2023, Ho said, with 2023 having 404 deaths, 2022 having 267 deaths and as of May, 33 deaths this year. 

The Sacramento district attorney said he is in favor of innovative ways to stay ahead of the epidemic with solutions such as a fentanyl murder registry to keep track of individuals convicted of fentanyl poisoning; an impact panel featuring dealers, addicts and victims’ families to spread awareness; an overdose alert system powered by artificial intelligence; and the dismantling of online distributors. 

“We cannot arrest our way out of this and we cannot educate our way out of it alone,” Ho said.

Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said that solutions such as naloxone, the active ingredient in Narcan, have become second nature when dealing with individuals who are hardly conscious or unresponsive. He said it is because “we’re so used to it” in schools and workplaces.

Every demographic in the county is affected, Cooper said, and California does not pass the laws necessary to hold fentanyl dealers accountable. He referenced his qualms with Proposition 36. Citing the lack of effort to fund these initiatives, Cooper said, the continued multi-community effort is necessary to combat substance abuse and homelessness.  

“Drug court worked and we have to fix that,” Cooper said. 

Cooper said that Proposition 47 removed incentives to place individuals into drug court and that being an addict should not be a crime, unless they are committing crimes. Drug dealers prey on young people, Cooper said, and holding the dealers accountable is what works. 

Multiple task forces from multiple agencies were recognized by elected officials at the press conference for their brave and significantly impactful seizures of hard drugs and criminals. Some task forces included the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team (TRIDENT), High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CALMMET), and the Fentanyl Abatement Suppression Team (FAST).

Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire manages the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team and said he is reminded of each victim’s life when prosecuting the criminals charged with taking that life.

Gire said the outreach team talks to thousands of students, teachers and coaches to gain information and spread awareness. 

“The fentanyl crisis represents a public safety emergency and the poisoning epidemic,” Sacramento DA Thien Ho said during a press conference on May 29. Photo courtesy of the Sacramento County DA’s Office

Collaboration happens between all levels of government, Gire said, and operations are happening “day in and day out” to send a message through the region. 

“Even if you don’t want treatment, we will get you there,” Gire said during the press conference. 

Since 2022, more than 15-million fentanyl pills and more than 6,700 pounds of fentanyl powder have been seized, Bonta said. He said more than 500 suspects have been arrested.

“Numbers don’t tell the full story,” Bonta said. “They are lives saved, they are overdoses prevented, they are families spared from unimaginable grief.”

“Fighting Fentanyl” will be held at Victory Outreach West Sacramento to spread awareness and promote prevention from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on June 14. The event is organized by Ricky Brazil, a Sacramento father who lost his son to fentanyl poisoning in 2022 and will feature music, hot rods and resources to combat the fentanyl epidemic.

Victory Outreach West Sacramento is at 944 Sacramento Avenue in West Sacramento.

“We’re actively working to strengthen border enforcement,” Bonta said. “We’re collaborating with local and federal law enforcement partners in Southern California and Northern California to stop fentanyl before it ever has a chance to make it up to Sacramento.”