The following is a message to the community written by Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall and published on his agency’s Facebook page:
Last week we completed several investigations into illegal marijuana cultivations in the Round Valley. I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what we are dealing with.
Several years ago, I along with several Northern California Sheriff’s met regarding the violence, human trafficking, drug trafficking organizations and environmental degradation we were seeing in illegal marijuana grow sites throughout Northern California. We began a partnership realizing we were all facing the same issues at a time when we are all facing personnel shortages.
This partnership has allowed us to concentrate on the most egregious violators.
We were very fortunate to have Senator McGuire who assisted in this coordinated effort and was able to work with us to secure funding which helps combat these sites. This funding through the state lightened the financial load for our counties and allowed all agencies to work together investigating the worst offenses causing violence, human trafficking, and environmental degradation.
Last week we had a terrible crime occur in the Round Valley area in which a robbery of marijuana was attempted. This resulted in assaults with deadly weapons, a vehicle pursuit and crash, gun fire and violent assaults. These are the type of crimes which we continue to see with the illegal marijuana trade and this is why we have formed these partnerships.
We were able to arrest the suspects in this case, however they were badly beaten by residents in the area. One of the suspects was released to a hospital due to major injuries, while the other suspect, who was on federal parole, is currently in custody with the federal prison system and awaiting charges in Mendocino County.
These are the crimes which continue to endanger neighborhoods. These are the reasons we are continuing to investigate illegal cultivations.
Thanks to the previously mentioned partnerships, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office regarding illegal cannabis being cultivated in Round Valley. We utilized air assets for overflights identifying numerous cannabis cultivation sites throughout the valley.
In collaboration with partnering agencies, further investigations into the properties identified during overflights continued. A total of 18 locations were ultimately chosen to be targeted for search warrants based on several factors. The locations had an overwhelming amount of illegal cannabis being grown, were not county or state licensed and/or appeared to also have environmental impact crimes taking place. These lands were identified as being private properties, as well as state and tribal lands.
Based on the number of sites as well as the overwhelming amount of marijuana being cultivated at these locations, we requested even more assistance from allied agencies. The following agencies assisted in the enforcement effort: Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, along with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (including environmental scientist staff), California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), California Department of Water Quality and EPIC (formerly known as CAMP). We executed the 18 search warrants over a two-day period.
During the search warrant services, numerous subjects were detained. In addition, many others were observed fleeing the locations from these large scale grow sites.
Now please think about these numbers. In 2 days, we were able to eradicate a total of 62,117 marijuana plants. A total of 31,284 pounds of processed marijuana was also located. There were 3 illegal AR-15 style rifles (Ghost Guns) and an illegal short barreled rifle located within the grow sites. Illegal pesticides (Carbofuran and Methamidophos) were also located on several properties and appeared to be used in the illegal cultivation of marijuana. We, along with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, are preparing criminal cases that will be sent to the District Attorney’s Office for charging considerations.
Let me be clear about this, we will continue to investigate these crimes and will continue to charge the violators. For every person who complains regarding the enforcement, we receive calls of gratitude from many others including our elders and people raising children who have been afraid to simply walk through their neighborhoods. Therefore, we will continue to investigate these crimes and work towards safety in our rural areas.
To all the folks who have reached out to my office with gratitude for this work, you are welcome and thank you for your support in this endeavor. We will keep after this until such time our communities are again safe.
Sheriff Matt Kendall
Could someone get this politician a cup of “tell the truth”. Two suspects detained? What happened to the fleeing suspects that was mentioned in the original report of the shooting robbery. You know the one that caused these “grow sites” to be raided with NO SEARCH WARRANTS.
excuse me sheriff but “we the people” would like to hear the truth, not your cover up story.
Its messed up that you take pride of the compliments given by innocent elders while you throw your lies to their faces.
Sounds like a maybe someone is grumpy because their weed got cut?
I live in Round Valley and Im VERY VERY happy this is happening! We have been suffering from this for too many years, gunshots all night and growers who come from every foreign country taking over our community. I see more non natives than natives on our land now days and they are all growing weed. we are constantly being told there’s no water for us in the housing. how did that happen? All the water is going to the pot.
We need to look at who our leaders are who are not only allowing this but encouraging it.
Just look at there FB pages at the cars and money there showing off pretty clear what’s happening.
Hey you whining boo hoo somebody took my pot guy. I called the sherrif and thanked him because I’m not one of you gettin rich off this. Your probably mad cuz your “employeez” was at Keith’s all week hanging out in the parking lot instead of tendin your weed.
Keith’s wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for the money brought to the area because of Cannabis.
Every person in the county has benefitted from the cannabis economy at some point.
Especially law enforcement officers.
They get extra pay when doing these raids.
Matt Kendal a “Politician”???? That some funny shit.
I guess you like the robbers and crooks racing round town or the crackhead zombies wandering from housing to Rods bridge. How do you know they didn’t have warrants? Probably because they caught you.
Your Obviously somebody on council. When the tanks dry up maybe the weed will also and that will be a great day. We went from warriors to Facebook warriors not an improvement!
The alleged crimes against the populous was they were “afraid to walk down the neighborhood streets.” Wow, what a Karen allegation. You damn well need more that “feelings” how about actual crime ????? You have a massive mega county police response, not to an actual crime against neighbors but just some neighbors feelings???
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Ghost Guns and Earth Poison aren’t enough crime for you? Maybe move to Mexico where that stuff is normal.
The Rez is looking and sounding like “Warrez” and we have our “Leaders” to thank for it. Election in November. There’s 3 who won’t be getting a vote from anybody I know. They don’t need any votes cuz they got there weed money.
We got tribal cops but the boss and his 2 BFFs only sends them after there competition.
OMG TOO FUNNY
RVIT has Boss Hog Lewis and Roscoe P Robbono running the show!
Where’s Bo and Luke when we need them?
Only one agency missing, ICE. Sonoma needs to step up as well. All these SF/Oakland/Richmond criminals shouldn’t get past Cotati.
Sheriff Kendall is a joke! He showed up for the MMIP Conference in Ukiah didn’t stay but an hour before he snuck out the back door of the Ukiah Confey Center.. Blastfamy and what a coward!
You’re a joke 2 fingers. Thought you were busy boy chasing Tat James. What are you bringing to the problem. A big mouth and you ain’t even livin up here so go back to complainin and hangin with the crackheads in Sherwood.
2 fingers??? LMAO
wasn’t he TJ’s campaign guy? Maybe we could get him to “help” in our next election. If he is on “President Boss Hog” side he gonna lose and maybe we can get rid of this weed and only natives be left on our rez.
Perry yes I was at the MMIP conference. I had been asked to attend by Diana Billy Elliot.
I had been out of the county the previous week and cut my vacation short to attend this. I had to compress my calendar the following week which nearly doubled all my appointments. I did leave after an hour because left I had several other meetings that day and could only stay for an hour.
Thank You Sheriff Kendall.
You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
You have a very tough and dangerous and too much of the time thankless job.
Thanks for your service.
Thank you!
For every one person who complains we get 20 who call to thank us. We appreciate all.
Don’t sweat anything “2 Fingers” has to say. He’s always disrespecting cuz nobody has any respect for him.he doesn’t live up here and thinks he can weigh in on our lives.
Speak the truth and you will lose followers and they will be the ones you don’t want anyway!
2 Fingers! ?
Now that is funny!
Why wasn’t ICE involved Sheriff? You speak about trafficking but seem to not involve the folk most equipped to deal with that scourge.
2 fingers dosent need to repeat 2nd grade he was there for 4 years in a row!
He went all racist crazy on FB couple years back when some dudes got robbed in ukiah. Could barely read anything he said between the slurs and swearing which he spelled all wrong!
Uhh, you might want to check your own spelling on a comment cutting on someone about their spelling.
Perry Half Brain, you need to repeat second grade and learn spelling.
He don’t need to repeat 2nd grade he was in it for 4 years!
Go get ‘em, sheriff! I appreciate the efforts of the MCSO, but it would be more efficient to have an ICE field office in round valley. Lots of the real bad hombres need to be deported. If the deportees come back they should be sent to Guantanamo.
Of course we will need to shut down the southern border. Wall it off and militarize it. It would be great training grounds for national guard. If Israel, Ukraine, and Korea can do it with our dollars then so can we.
Why wasn’t ICE involved Sheriff? You speak about trafficking but seem to not involve the folk most equipped to deal with that scourge.
The California Values Act (SB 54) was passed several years ago. It was based on the sanctuary State declaration and basically says that no state and local resources can be used to assist federal immigration enforcement. Therefore we can’t communicate with ICE unless they have a signed warrant by a judge.
So appeal that shit law to the SCOTUS.
It’s fairly obvious Cali citizens are being harmed by that.
To all who support this erratication that the sheriff is so proud of you may want to look up the definition of eradicate.
To eradicate means to destroy, damage, no longer make use of.
Now before you place the sheriff on a higher shelf go out and look at the properties and land they have raided.
The land is destroyed and damaged. They dug holes on properties, bulldozed plants, greenhouses, all types of materials and pushed it into the holes on the properties. They poured the chemicals in the ground on the properties, causing more damage. The only thing they removed was the processed weed. Not only private properties but native land as well. I’ve see now that little valley has trash that looks to be from greenhouses dumped out all up that road. I’ve even witnessed a person dumping trash and stopped to tell them if they don’t clean it up I will report them as I have pictures of happening.
To the sheriff: I would say good job taking the grant money and putting it towards your vacations instead of actually removing the trash. Your helping the environment? Looks like your making it worse! Yes there’s to many grows here. But be honest you only target the ones that are small and weak so they don’t have means to afford real justification. While the ones you should be getting are the ones that’s paying you not to touch them. Your just as nasty as the violators and should be prosecuted yourself. How can you sleep at night after lying to your complimenters and destroying native land.