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Ron DeSantis: “In 2023, we established the state Assistance for Fentanyl…”

Featuring: Ron DeSantis, Republican | Governor of Florida

JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program

Published September 2, 2025 | Video Starts at 10:02

There's no question that that has happened now. We also knew that we needed to do more to support our local law enforcement and continue working with our state law enforcement agencies. So In 2023, we established the state Assistance for Fentanyl eradication Grant Program. We call it the SAFE Program. which gives law enforcement funding needed to conduct large scale drug interdiction operations across the state of Florida. (10:02–10:10)

CLAIM

Asserts the establishment of the SAFE Program in 2023 to combat fentanyl.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Ron DeSantis

“We've had six major hurricanes in seven years.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 02:22-02:26
“We had the previous 10 years where we had no hurricanes.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 02:27-02:31
“Operation Vigilance Sentry interdicted 19,000 illegal aliens, almost 18,000 repatriated to their home country, and more than 470 total…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 08:39-08:56
“That is enough fentanyl to kill approximately one third of, of the population of the United States of America.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 11:04-11:13
“4.4 pounds of fentanyl could kill a million people.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 14:04-14:07
“Florida, out of all 50 states, we're the only state in the United States that has a governor and a lieutenant governor who are both military…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 41:22-41:33
“We've got 70,000 people in the state of Florida alone that have final deportation orders that haven't been executed.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 51:36-51:43
“Since I've been governor, we've retired almost half of the state's taxpayer supported debt.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 1:02:38-1:02:45
“New York has 3 million, 4 million fewer residents. Their budget's twice as much as ours.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 1:02:49-1:02:55
“We've made permanent sales tax elimination on the disaster preparedness items.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 01:51-01:58
“The amount of fentanyl that we've seized...you're talking about enough fentanyl to kill tens of millions of people.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 04:19-04:34
“A couple years ago we were hitting over 100,000 drug overdose deaths across the United States of America.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 05:02-05:10
“Fentanyl is the main reason why [drug overdose deaths] reached the levels that it has now.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 05:09-05:16
“That's led in part to the reduction in opioid overdose deaths throughout the state of Florida.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 06:44-06:51
“In 2001, I launched a number of emergency measures to help with the southern border that was happening in Texas.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 07:35-07:46
“We also launched operation Vigilance Sentry, which is our maritime operations to protect the peninsula of Florida from these vessels that…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 07:52-08:04
“Over 200, almost 200 safe investigations have led to 2,100 arrests, the seizure of 485 pounds of fentanyl and over 63,000 fentanyl pills.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 10:44-10:58
“545 pounds of cocaine, over 300 pounds of meth, 4.6 million in drug cash, 730 in drug related firearms, and then 76 drug vehicles have been…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 11:27-11:44
“FDLE agents in Orlando, Jacksonville and Fort Myers earlier this month arrested multiple suspects that were part of a drug trafficking ring…”
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“Earlier this month in Orlando, FDLE arrested a high level cartel member selling fentanyl and meth.”
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“FDLE Orlando also arrested an illegal alien from Colombia, a former Colombian paramilitary leader responsible for cocaine trafficking and…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 14:08-14:22
“In South Florida, FDLE dismantled a fentanyl laced meth ring that used street dealers at motels to flood communities.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 14:26-14:35
“An illegal alien and Gulf cartel human smuggler, previously deported twice, was arrested by FDLE and sentenced after being caught smuggling…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 14:37-14:58
“Operation Burn Baby Burn broke up a drug trafficking organization importing fentanyl from Mexico and from California. 17 arrests made 6…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 15:13-15:34
“Operation Jacob's Ladder took down a Gulf cartel pipeline, sending monthly truckloads worth millions of dollars of meth, fentanyl, cocaine…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 15:39-15:52
“Polk County alone has seized more than 25% of all fentanyl captured as a result of the SAFE program.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 17:03-17:11
“In June of this year, FDLE and Suwannee County Sheriff's offices seized enough fentanyl to, as I mentioned, do significant damage in their…”
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“Last year, I recommended an additional $20 million so that we could keep our safe program operational. Now, the legislature did fund some of…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 18:01-18:16
“We have 7.7 million committed to active contracts. There's now about 5 million that are left for new contracts.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 18:22-18:30
“When I became governor, they were pushing to repeal Florida's truth in sentencing law so that people would have let out a lot of felons, and…”
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“He [Jay] served in Iraq, Afghanistan, all these places.”
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“He [Jay] was personally rescuing people during that conflict while these Iranian ballistic missiles, you know, were raining down.”
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“He [Jay] was the guy that got our bill enacted to ban the CCP from buying land in the state of Florida.”
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“We had a lot of people from Florida over there [in Israel].”
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“I authorize an emergency mission to exfil people from Israel and bring them back safely to the state of Florida.”
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“We ended up getting thousands of people out of Israel at that time to safety.”
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“We do give you a $5,000 signing bonus [for police officers].”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 39:27-39:31
“The state attorney in Orange County, she obviously is not gung ho about doing what needs to be done.”
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“When these prosecutors Soros backed have done where they've exceeded their discretion and, and ended up neglecting core duties, you know…”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 43:57-44:09
“Because we've had Alligator Alcatraz, you've had thousands and thousands of deportations that might not otherwise have happened.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 45:18-45:26
“We spent money and we will get reimbursed.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 46:02-46:05
“Florida will clearly benefit from a taxpayer perspective.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 46:14-46:18
“We've done more to facilitate the president's agenda on this than any other state by far.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 48:09-48:15
“The state, we don't have to do a federal environmental impact statement when we're doing business on our own property.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 49:34-49:42
“Everything we're doing on this mission, everything we're doing is reimbursable from FEMA.”
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“FDOT issued a memo to explain that a couple months ago. Everybody's been on notice about that.”
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“Most places in Florida, 95%.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 55:09-55:13
“Our role from the FDOT's perspective for the Department of Transportation is to make sure the roads remain clean.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 56:31-56:38
“I as governor signed this into law.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 57:12-57:15
“We don't rely on property tax revenue at the state level.”
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“We just got rid of the business rent tax, eliminated that tax.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 59:28-59:32
“We're one of the lowest taxes state in the country.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 59:34-59:37
“We're going to place a question on the ballot that is going to allow Floridians to be able to vote themselves relief from property tax.”
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“The budget that we are under right now in Florida is spending less than last year's budget and last year's budget spent less than the year…”
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“Orange county was not cooperative [with property tax relief efforts].”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 1:04:50-1:04:54
“Blaze has been very hard on Manatee county, which is a very red county.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 1:05:20-1:05:26
“Property values are going up. People are buying homes a lot of times sight unseen.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 1:06:27-1:06:31
“How many of the local governments are responded by doing really significant property tax reductions? Not very many did that.”
JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds Press Briefing To Promote Results Of Anti-Fentanyl Program | Uploaded September 2, 2025 | 1:06:52-1:07:01
“The audits that Blaze are leading, you know, it's the we've called it the Florida Agency for 50 Fiscal Oversight, our FAFO audits.”
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