“Serving search warrants in investigations such as this can be extremely dangerous.  We are grateful for the work that law enforcement officers conduct to combat the illegal marijuana operations in our state and are thankful no one was hurt during the service of this warrant.”

–CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

KERN COUNTY – On August 6, 2024, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, California Department of Fish and Wildlife/Cannabis Enforcement Program (CEP), the Eradication and Prevention of illicit Cannabis (EPIC) task force and officers from the Kern County Probation Department executed a search warrant on an illegal underground marijuana grow operation that was discovered in the desert area north of Boron. Three suspects found to be involved in operating the illegal marijuana grow were arrested.

During the search warrant two suspects attempted to flee from the underground grow operation and were quickly apprehended by assisting law enforcement personnel.

The warrant and search resulted in:

• 17,650 marijuana plants eradicated from within the underground grow rooms
•  approximately 1,069 pounds of processed marijuana seized.

The underground operation consisted of numerous buried seatrains with a sophisticated electrical and ventilation/cooling systems operating off a large diesel-powered commercial generator.

Members of Kern County Code Compliance responded and during their investigation found numerous code violations and major safety concerns with the illegally buried marijuana grow operation. Based on the violations, the structures/outbuildings and underground seatrains on the large property were deemed unsafe for occupancy and posted by Kern County Code Compliance.

The following subjects were arrested for maintaining a place for drug sales, cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales, resisting arrest, disturbed earth, trash stockpile and illegal discharge of water related to marijuana cultivation and conspiracy to commit a crime. All subjects were transported and booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Lerdo Justice Facility.

Qingxue Zhang, 57, from China, CN

Siyun Cao, 32, from Quizo, China

Xiyyu Zou, 53, from China, CN