SAN DIEGO — Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy Miller made a stop in San Diego Thursday to announce a new strategy for the fight against fentanyl.
“I take this personally, fentanyl is coming through our borders, it’s killing folks in our communities. It’s killing children, parents, grandchildren, our neighbors, or coworkers, so our job is to protect the American public,” said Miller in a press conference held at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to announce the launch of Operation Apollo.
“This is the kickoff, a sustained strategy to go after the transnational criminal organizations that are trafficking this poison into our communities,” said Miller.
Operation Apollo will coordinate efforts and information-sharing between not only federal agencies like the DEA, FBI, and DHS, but also with local partners like the City of San Diego.
“We cannot be passive observers in the face of this crisis. I’ve heard the stories, I’ve seen the despair, I’ve seen the predatory manner in which dealers prey on our most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “Greater enforcement and harsher penalties for illicit fentanyl dealers is an imperative.”
In the City of San Diego alone, 410 people died of accidental overdose involving fentanyl last year. That’s a sharp 800% increase from 5 years ago when 45 people died from fentanyl.
“This crisis is even more acute on our streets and it is supercharging our homelessness crisis. Five years ago, three people experiencing homelessness died due to fentanyl overdose,” said Gloria. “Last year, it was 181.”
CBP is beefing up resources to look for precursor chemicals and pill-making equipment like presses and die molds. There are several reasons why Commissioner Miller chose San Diego as the place to launch Operation Apollo.
“200,000 people cross our borders here, that’s 20% of all passengers that enter into the U.S. every single day come through San Diego,” said Miller. “47% of all fentanyl seizures have been here in San Diego.”
Miller also pointed to $13.6 billion-worth of additional funding for border security proposed to Congress by the Biden Administration last week as part of a larger supplemental spending package involving aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza. If approved, the extra funding would be used to hire 1,000 more CBP officers and 1,300 additional Border Patrol agents along the Southwest border.
WATCH RELATED: Mayor Gloria, AG Bonta hold discussion on fentanyl distribution with local leaders