HUMBOLDT COUNTY - On August 17-20, 2020,  the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Food and Agriculture and CalCannabis assisted deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) in serving multiple search warrants to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation in the Trinity River and Klamath River watersheds in Northeast Humboldt County.

Numerous parcels that did not have the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially were investigated during the service of the warrants.

During the service of the warrants, law enforcement officers eradicated approximately 28,399 growing cannabis plants, and seized and destroyed more than 1,408 pounds of cannabis bud and approximately 5,007 pounds of drying cannabis.

Law enforcement officers also located and seized eight firearms.  In addition, they identified:

• Sixteen water diversion violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation)
• Eight water pollution violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation)

Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed. No arrests were made during the service of the warrants. The cases will be forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for review.

“Serving search warrants at illegal cannabis grow sites can be very dangerous as often there are firearms on the premises,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.   “Local and state investigators are working to put a stop to illegal cannabis operations in order to protect consumers and cannabis growers who have met the requirements to be licensed.”