SAN FRANCISCO -- The new task force is aimed at building on the state's existing law enforcement partnership with San Francisco launched earlier this year that instructed the California Highway Patrol and California National Guard to use their resources to assist the city with its fentanyl trafficking crisis. The task force's mission will be to investigate opioid overdose deaths like homicides and pass along evidence to prosecutors connecting drug deaths to specific dealers.
'The task force will treat opioid deaths in San Francisco similar to homicide cases — employing standard operating procedures to document deaths, gather relevant evidence, process intelligence to further map out the supply of fentanyl and large crime syndicates, and hold drug traffickers accountable,' the release on the task force said.