The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has shut down a sprawling illegal marijuana growing operation discovered on its own property near Sacramento.
More than 15,000 plants were destroyed during a July 12 eradication effort that was supported by several agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Justice, and National Guard.
In a news release issued Monday, the CDFW stated that it had arrested 11 suspects and confiscated 3,000 pounds of processed marijuana and three loaded firearms.
Before the arrests, wildlife officers observed the suspects trying to deliver more than 400 pounds of processed marijuana from the grow area in a U-Haul truck, which also was seized.
The growing operation occurred on dense wilderness parcels owned by the CDFW and The Nature Conservancy, within the 50,000-acre Consumnes River Preserve.
“Discovering thousands of illegal marijuana plants on CDFW property and just 25 miles from the State Capitol demonstrates the brazen actions of those involved in the black market marijuana trade,” David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division, stated in the news release. “There’s no question that operations of this nature prevent the legal cannabis market from thriving.”
The Consumnes River Preserve is home to an abundance of wildlife and seasonal home to state-listed threatened species, such as the greater sandhill crane, Swainson’s hawk, and steelhead trout.
CDFW officers documented several environmental violations by the growers, including habitat destruction, illegal water diversion, placing pesticides near waterways, and littering.
The suspects’ court dates are pending.
–Images showing the illegal growing area are courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
