KERN COUNTY - On March 11, 2022, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) executed a search warrant for the illegal cultivation of marijuana in the desert area of Redrock Randsburg Road and Aciero Randsburg Ranch Road in Garlock.

During the search, law enforcement officers located 41,053 marijuana plants, seized approximately 2,000 pounds of processed marijuana and five firearms.

The following 13 arrests were made for cultivation of marijuana, violations of California Water Codes and various Fish and Game codes.

Idarlis Marady Duong, age (47)

Shaoxing Chen, age (45)

Jing Zhenwu, age (34)

Jinhong Tian, age (52)

Qunqun Zhao, age (45)

Haw Chi Wang, age (49)

Phirom Keomeas, age (52)

Seth Pin, age (41)

Sony Nov, age (49)

Ger Lee, age (28)

Sothan Mao, age (62)

CaiHong Li, age (50)

Chenwei Lu, age (52)

“The illegal cultivation of marijuana can contribute to a feeling of being unsafe for neighboring property owners and the surrounding community.  Often those involved in this illegal activity are armed and create a danger for investigating officers.  Thankfully no one was hurt in the service of this search warrant,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.