California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claim that he doubled his state’s National Guard’s Counter Drug Taskforce operations at the border has been met with criticism from border agents and journalists.
Newsom traveled to the border on Thursday and posted a video detailing his efforts to counter the flow of fentanyl. He announced his drug task force was increasing its numbers at the border from 155 to nearly 400 service members.
“Our top priority is the safety of our communities statewide,” the governor said in a statement. “By working with state, local, and federal partners to take down transnational organizations and the illegal drugs they attempt to bring into our state, the state’s Counter Drug Taskforce is making a profound difference to hold smugglers accountable and take deadly drugs off our streets.”
Bill Melugin, a border reporter for Fox News, countered Newsom on X by noting the lack of California National Guard presence where illegal crossings take place.
“Haven’t seen one — not a single one — of these CA National Guard soldiers in Jacumba where the mass illegal crossings of adult men from around the world are taking place,” Melugin posted. “[Border patrol] there so overwhelmed that the migrants wander aimlessly on highways and call Lyfts for themselves while waiting to be picked up, as San Diego sector now leads the nation in illegal crossings.”
“I sent Gov. Newsom’s below post to a [border patrol] agent in Jacumba, who responded by laughing & telling me CA ‘isn’t doing s**t’ to help them with illegal crossings there, and any soldiers that they see there are National Guard from other states working w/ DHS under federal Title 10 orders,” he continued. “He said CA soldiers are helping with drug interdiction at ports of entry — not the mass crossing hot spots in Jacumba.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s latest data on southwest border encounters revealed nearly 180,000 in April.
Brandon Richards, Newsom’s deputy communications director, responded to Melugin by stating that the governor is focused on drugs, not illegal aliens.
“Newsom has always been clear that @CalGuard’s efforts are focused on combatting fentanyl & narcotics trafficking. Your [border patrol] contact verified that effort,” Richards posted.
“CA is doing our job, while the GOP drops the ball & blocks the bipartisan border security deal that would bring more resources to border communities, more support for border agents, & further crack down on fentanyl trafficking,” he continued.
Melugin responded to Richards, doubting that the governor was providing substantial help to border agents.
“Claims ‘CA is doing our job’ — as San Diego sector leads the nation in illegal crossings and there is zero effort to deter or enforce at the state level, nor are there any CA National Guard on hand to even help Border Patrol with simple humanitarian tasks that would free up agents to do their jobs,” Melugin posted on X.
“Great to have this confirmation in writing that … despite the photo ops & claims of doubling CA National Guard at the border — none of them are working with Border Patrol in Jacumba, where @FoxNews live shots continue to show men from around the world pouring in daily, with many ending up street released at a trolley station in San Diego,” he continued.
Political commentator Tomi Lauren mocked Newsom on Fox News on June 14.
“The fact that Gavin Newsom would stand there and take [a] Vanity shot of himself and bald-faced lie to his constituents and the American people, well, it’s so textbook Gavin Newsom that it actually hurts,” Lauren said.