Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Wildlife Officers Uncover Poaching, Water Diversions in Mendocino County Cannabis Raid

Discarded waste surrounds the grow operation.[Photo from CDFW]

Wildlife officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) served search warrants at five properties in Mendocino County on Wednesday, September 18th, 2024, targeting illegal cannabis cultivation and environmental crimes, according to Jen Benedet, Acting Deputy Director of the CDFW’s Office of Communications, Education, and Outreach.

The raids, conducted by CDFW’s Cannabis Enforcement Program, took place north of Laytonville near Bunim Road and Registered Guest Road, with support from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Benedet said. Authorities were investigating properties suspected of unlawful cannabis cultivation, which also posed significant environmental risks.

According to Benedet, record checks revealed that none of the properties had obtained county permits or state licenses to cultivate or manufacture commercial cannabis. Officers eradicated 7,478 illicit cannabis plants, destroyed 1,074 pounds of processed cannabis, and found a suspected poached deer and opium poppy plants.

Trash strewn about one of the grow sites [Photo from CDFW]

Violations of Water Code and Fish and Game Code (FGC) were also documented during the raids. Benedet reported that of the 55 FGC violations, eight were water diversions from headwater streams that feed salmon-bearing waterways.

Three individuals were detained, and the investigation is ongoing, Benedet added.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. This is what legalization has done. People could already grow two plants themselves if needed. Legalization should never ever have happened. It’s destroying nature and water sheds. It obviously leads to other drugs with the police arrests showing the facts. Burglary…Murder….persons dissappearing…solo Car wrecks & upgrading to worse drug addiction. Mendocino County residents only have themselves to blame for voting yes on drug growing. Because it brought the lifestyle of crime and drugs here. If a person is pro drug and complains…they are life lying to themselves.

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  2. That’s hilarious. They eradicated 7,478 cannabis plants and “destroyed” 1,074 lbs of processed marijuana.” I call bullshit. They probably kept the lbs for themselves.

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Matt LaFever
Matt LaFeverhttps://mendofever.com/
For the past seven years, Matt LaFever has covered the North Coast of California in both print and radio news. A Humboldt State graduate, he has lived in the Emerald Triangle for nearly 20 years. His reporting spans local issues like crime and wildfires. When not writing, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, exploring Northern California’s rugged landscapes. Reach out to him at matthewplafever@gmail.com.

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