Los Angeles County seizes $ 1.2 billion worth of illegal marijuana

Los Angeles County officials released the latest data for an illegal marijuana seizure, the results of which are valued at up to $ 1.2 billion.

At a press conference on July 7th, Sheriff Alex Villanueva explained the details of a recent seizure by his department. A 10-day operation in the Mojave Desert resulted in the seizure of 373,000 plants and 33,480 pounds of illegal marijuana, which the department estimated at about $ 1.2 billion.

According to The Associated Press, there were illegal marijuana farms linked to drug cartels.

Apparently it was the largest Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department operation in its history. The department’s second largest operation involved the investigation of 70 greenhouses and the seizure of cannabis worth $ 50 million. Villanueva also noted that the ministry suspected about 150 illegal growing areas in Antelope Valley last year, but the number has risen to about 500 since this year. “During the pandemic, some people were very, very busy,” Villanueva told Valley Post News.

Many illegal marijuana operations have been spotted from the air

Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents the 25th Congressional District where the seizure took place, spoke about how easy it was to find illegal plants while tracking down in a helicopter when it flew out in early April this year. “I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of these illegal nurseries in our desert, mostly occupied by illegal immigrants,” Garcia said.

“Over 90 percent of the people who work on these farms are tied servants in some form or another. They steal our water, in many cases they perch on our land, ”Garcia continued. This poses a major environmental problem to remote areas, where the use of banned pesticides and harmful chemicals can damage wildlife and spoil local water sources. Not to mention the millions of gallons of water stolen in an already drought-stricken region of the state for local farmers who grow agricultural products like alfalfa, potatoes and carrots.

According to Garcia, he initially took action because cartel members reportedly threatened local residents, which led to an action by Garcia. “This is not about right vs. left or Republicans vs. Democrats, it’s about right vs. wrong and enforcing the law,” he said. “These operations are not legal. The actors involved in these operations put our constituents and our residents at risk. They threaten them daily. ”He said the amount of cannabis confiscated in that operation could fill two Sea World orca tanks.

Garcia defended his testimony, making it clear that their goal is to target massive illegal operations rather than average business people. “I want to be very clear that these are not mom-and-pop or legal operations that we are fighting,” he said. “These are large-scale illegal operations that in many cases are run by several different cartels right here in our backyard.”

This is just one example of illicit drug trafficking that is rampant behind the scenes of California’s legal cannabis program. In late June, 15,000 plants and approximately $ 7.5 million worth of cannabis products were seized by local law enforcement in San Diego County. This was done with the help of San Diego Gas & Electric and the State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“San Diego County’s Code Enforcement, California Water Board investigators, and San Diego Gas & Electric also helped with today’s operation. They discovered numerous violations that resulted in a dangerous situation, as well as environmental crimes on the property due to illegal cultivation. It is not uncommon for investigators to find dangerous chemicals, illegal pesticides, and other hazardous materials used in unlicensed marijuana growing areas, ”the department said in a press release. “These dangerous substances can get into the local groundwater supply and streams and cause extreme environmental hazards.”