Local and state authorities served a search warrant at an illegal cannabis enforcement operation in Lake County, California, on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Lake County Calif: A massive illegal cannabis operation that included more than 51,000 plants was eradicated last week following the service of search warrants by state and local officials.
CDFW Press Release:
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, wildlife officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, with support from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Food and Agriculture and other allied agencies, served a search warrant spanning two parcels in the Scotts Valley area of Lakeport in Lake County.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the warrant stemmed from an investigation involving environmental damage associated with illegal commercial cannabis cultivation. The operation involved personnel from six separate agencies.
A records check confirmed that neither of the parcels were licensed by the state for commercial cannabis cultivation.
On the site, officers and staff eradicated 51,799 illegal cannabis plants, confiscated seven firearms, seized over $27,000 in cash and documented approximately 40 Fish and Game Code crimes.
Violations included garbage piled up near various waterways, numerous unpermitted water diversions, illegal grading of the landscape resulting in sediment discharge and stockpiles of chemicals near waterways, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife report.
One cultivation site was built over an existing stream resulting in a modified channel into a ditch with polluted water.
Each violation alone can have a detrimental environmental impact but combined, are degrading entire watersheds at the expense of California's diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources.
Twenty-six individuals were detained during the operation including two minors – a 16-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy.
Criminal charges will be filed with the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
No further information on the case was available on Wednesday.
CDFW encourages the public to report environmental crimes such as water pollution, water diversions and poaching to the CalTIP hotline by calling (888) 334-2258 or texting information to “TIP411” (847411).
Legal Cannabis Cultivation is Difficult but Encouraged by Ca Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Go to their website for tips and permits HERE
Cannabis Cultivation Law Enforcement:
Law enforcement is a critical component of California’s transition into a regulated cannabis industry. CDFW's wildlife officers are fully fledged peace officers authorized to enforce all laws of the State of California. CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division (LED):
Works with growers to bring their facilities into compliance,
Provides assistance in remediating criminal environmental violations,
Works with other agencies to remove illegal grows, growers, illegal water impoundments, and extremely toxic chemicals frequently associated with illegal grows, and
Protects California’s unique, beautiful, and diverse natural resources.
Cannabis cultivation has the potential to affect fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats (learn more about cannabis and the environment). Inspections have led to violations for water diversions and storage, grading, chemical use, wildlife threats, timber conversion, and public safety. Between 2013 and early 2018, more than 700 inspections resulted in 399 tons of trash removed from public and private lands including: 2.4 million feet of irrigation pipe, 50 tons of fertilizer, and 465 gallons of chemicals (many illegal in the US). In addition, the removal of 709 dams and water diversions resulted in restoration of 800 million gallons of water back into local watersheds.
To cultivate cannabis legally within California, cultivators must have 1) a link opens in new windowCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) license, 2) local authorization or permit, and 3) a CDFW Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA) Agreement or letter stating an Agreement is not necessary. Other permits may be necessary depending on the project. A CDFW LSA Agreement is one part of the regulatory process, and alone, it is not sufficient to meet the State of California’s cannabis cultivation licensing requirements.
CDFW law enforcement efforts will help bring the cannabis industry into better compliance with environmental laws, will allow permitted growers in compliance with environmental laws to have an advantage over those who are not, and will result in an industry that provides a safer cannabis product to the public, cultivated with reduced impact to the environment.
Has anyone notice that snitching fan base don’t care about anything about the drug world anymore and all they want is for Mencho to get caught and pray for the chapitos don’t get captured then go all defensive when you have a different opinion?, like if they were from the cartel.
ReplyDelete11:57 El viejillo gonorriento has not much of a future,
DeleteThe Chapitos could still go places, they never were in trouble until US bounty hunters helped by mexican military fucked up and jumped the gun.
Great bust👍! 26 persons detained. Vs the Mexican Navy in Mexico don't get the criminals, they let them go free, and keep the drugs.
ReplyDeleteGet those paisas outta here!
ReplyDeleteso what's up with chapitos and russo? and the war in Sonora? Too!
ReplyDeleteThe drug organization's messing -with- the -environment might just be how the state of California gets motivated to enforce some aspects of the law.
ReplyDeleteWhich Cartel?
ReplyDeleteIt's a new one.
DeleteThe Jerry Garcia Cartel
JGC
8:57 americans don't need to see cartels all over in the letter soup.
DeleteMost outdoor grows have little to no environmental impact or actually have a positive impact on the ecosystem of the grow area… I personally know of an area in Texas that lead to increased bird population, increased frog in crawdad population, increased fish population and increased population of predators for the above listed animals… Vegetation and trees were impacted positively in the area became a water source for numerous animals and insects primarily bees… But you don’t see the media reporting on positive things like this associated with cannabis cultivation because they love being fed all of the bullshit that law enforcement loves to feed them. Cannabis was put on this earth and created by God and as it states in the Bible all things that God created are good. Of course God did not create the police officers many of whom in the US and Mexico are blatantly corrupt just do a Google search on law-enforcement corruption it’s everywhere. And since the establishment in 1973 of the DEA by Nixon and the subsequent war on drugs we have spent trillions of dollars and to what effect? None the war on drugs is an absolute unequivocal failure of epic proportion’s and it always will be. For once I would like to see a media outlet cover and report on the epic failure of the war on drugs and the associated facts surrounding that failure… I’m challenging you borderland beat report the facts on this epic failure and offer alternative solutions that could actually work to reduce drug addiction and the subsequent harm that putting users in prison does. You’ve got the legalization of cannabis as an excellent illustration. I’m not sure how much seizures have declined on the US-Mexico border but I know they are down significantly… So let’s report the facts and do your job is the fourth estate and show exactly what should be done and what can be done to finally end or mitigate the effects of this social problem that the US has been treating Putatively for years Yet anyone with half a brain knows that it needs a social/education solution and not a punitive prison solution
ReplyDelete11:26 "...trillones of dollars have been spent.."
DeleteThey went to somebody's pockets, those somebodies also promoted the drug trafficking to double down on their profitable government contracts, will you do your part and name names?