STANISLAUS COUNTY  -Between May 31-June 4, 2021 the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of California state law enforcement officers,  targeted outdoor and indoor illicit marijuana grows throughout Stanislaus  County, eradicating plants, seizing firearms and cash,  and arresting dozens of people.

The operation resulted in:

• The eradication of 74,088 marijuana plants, 39,883 of which were fully budded, 34 grows, and 1,687.3 pounds of fully processed marijuana plants,
• The seizure of 46 firearms and $172,347 in cash
• 83 people were either physically arrested and booked or issued citations for various violations
• 26 places had their power shut-off by their respective local utility companies,
• 16 code enforcement referrals were made,
• and 13 warrants resulted in Child or Adult Protective Services referrals for unsafe living conditions wherein guardians were arrested for endangering their children.

The total estimated street value of all the eradicated marijuana was nearly $100 million.

Assisting the sheriff’s officer were:

• California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC)Cannabis Enforcement Unit,
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Stanislaus County Public Works, Animal Services, and Stanislaus Regional 911 communications center
• Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts,
• Riverbank, Patterson and Stanislaus County Code Enforcement,
• Pacific, Gas & Electric,
• and Waterford, Patterson, Hughson and Riverbank Police Services.

“These illegal operations are often connected to other crimes that put community members at risk,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “By conducting these operations, law enforcement officers are protecting the public, protecting legal cultivators, and looking out for our environment.  Illegal cultivation sites often are in violations of environmental laws.”