Polluted Waterways, a Dozen Guns: Cannabis Grows Eradicated in Redwood Valley and Bell Springs Tied to Drug Trafficking Organizations, Says MCSO
Stylized stock image made from a photo taken on a previous bust by MCSO.
Cannabis enforcement efforts conducted this week in Mendocino County have eradicated 17,000 plants, confiscated a dozen guns, and discovered polluted waterways, reports Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall. He also told us all the sites were targeted by enforcement efforts due to their ties to drug trafficking organizations.
Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall told us that yesterday, June 7, 2023, his deputies assisted California Fish and Wildlife in cannabis enforcement operations in the area of Bell Springs Road. 5,913 plants were eradicated from three different parcels.
He said officers located evidence of environmental crimes including illegal water diversions and garbage polluting tributaries and streams.
One male adult was detained and three were seen fleeing the cannabis grows on foot as law enforcement approached, according to Kendall.
We reached out to California Fish and Wild’s Janice Mackey for comment on their enforcement efforts but as of publication have yet to hear back.
On Monday, June 5, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Fish and Wildlife and California’s Department of Cannabis Control as they conducted enforcement action on three Redwood Valley cannabis grows off of West Road containing 38 hoop houses.
By the end of the day, deputies eradicated 12,030 plants and 279 pounds of processed cannabis. They also located twelve guns, detained four subjects, and documented numerous fish and wildlife violations.
None of those detained on these illegal grow sites during this week’s enforcement actions were placed under arrest and booked into the county jail because, according to Sheriff Kendall, all they faced were misdemeanors.
Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall told us all cannabis sites hit this week had indications they were the work of drug trafficking organizations (DTOs).
Sheriff Kendall said his cannabis enforcement efforts would target grows connected to DTOs, where violence occurs, that violate environmental regulations, or trespass on private lands.
Michael Katz, the Executive Director of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, said his organization has “consistently supported efforts to address egregious criminal and environmentally destructive activity in Mendocino, including advocating for additional resources for the Sheriff’s Department to effectively respond to the significant negative impacts these behaviors cause in our community.”
Katz agreed with MCSO’s cannabis enforcement approach saying, “dangers to health and human safety and the environment need to be the priority.”
Earlier: Early Morning CDFW Convoy in Bell Springs
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Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs).? Like who?
It’s just a flower, man…
In Mexico DTOs have taken over a large part of the avocado industry bringing environmental destruction and violence with them. It’s just a fruit, man…
“In Mexico” boy this look like mechico to you?
Parts of it do and Ive been to more than one grow where my spanish was helpful. shit 10 years ago we bought a bazillion clones from a guy out in Mad River and his whole crew was Hondurans. esta mejor de pinche guerros
You’re right the avocados in the states have been bred to be more eco friendly and much less violent or so I hear.
Being part of a DTO is a misdemeanor? No one was arrested because 12,000+ plants and hundreds of pounds is a misdemeanor? A dozen guns and there wasn’t a more serious charge than a misdemeanor? Something doesn’t add up sheriff.
RICO ought to apply, but that’s federal
Wtf are even talking about?
What are you even talking about?
Better get planting I believe is the message here, thanks Sheriff!!
ROFLMAO
Sheriff Kendall said his cannabis enforcement efforts would target grows connected to DTOs, where violence occurs, that violate environmental regulations, or trespass on private lands. check check check. And roger that.
Great points! What I’m guessing is that the guns were not used “in the commission of a felony” but in the commission of a misdemeanor so they are okay to have. And since no amount of weed grown is a felony anymore then that means that everybody growing weed can legally have as many guns as they want! Yes- and the law does not want to publicize this resulting fact. Please somebody correct me if I’m wrong…because we are bringing all of our guns out to our grows now. Thank you Sheriff Kendall for revealing this new twist on the situation! It sounds like GUNS GUNS and more GUNS are now okay…
Prop 64 was sold as the long overdue legalization of recreational weed. It did a lot more than that, but no one read it. One of the poison pills embedded in Prop 64 was converting nearly all cannabis offenses to misdemeanors. Someone could literally have 10,000 plants or sell 10,000 lbs and it’s a misdemeanor. That’s why you see the Sheriff focus on environmental crimes, some of which can be prosecuted as felonies.
I’m real curious how they define Drug Trafficking Organization.
Isn’t any cannabis farm that isn’t licensed inherently a part of a drug trafficking organization? And hell, even licensed farms are according to the federal government since they’re manufacturing a schedule 1 narcotic to be dispersed through an organized supply chain built to deliver said schedule 1 substance to consumers far and wide.
That’s the new propaganda to signal it’s an illegal grow run by Mexicans
Or Chinese, or Hmong, etc.
Or Pan-European or Russian
Or From Jersey but Im pretty sure they have all gone home at this point.
The price drove the scum out of here.
Were the ‘detainees’ US citizens? Were the guns registered and did the possessors of said guns have the proper permits? Clear and present danger!
The DTOs run the show on Mendo. Had an opportunity to attend a local graduation. Pretty obvious the cartel clans are not missing a beat. The girls with excessive make up, fake nails, caterpillar tattooed eyebrows and walrus whisker lashes. The guys rico suave. Money leis galore stacked on their necks. Meanwhile the working class souls nothing fancy. Kids had bare bones attire. It is really tragic to witness the drug culture kill Nor Cal. Kill work ethic. Kill families. Lie and steal from programs and services for the NEEDY. Balmain jeans driving an Escalade to the local WIC office with your $700 dollar car seat strapped in the back for $36 bucks worth of groceries. But they’ll send duffle bags of money to “family” back home. Rapists, molesters. 50 yo with 16 yo girls. The constant DUI arrests. No shame. YEAH ITS A FUCKING PROBLEM.
Look at la Sacramento sf oakland up north is nothing ? Fentanyl and murder child slavery get a grip up north is paradise still
And then there’s kym giving these monsters a heads up.
This has been addressed many times in the past, but I’ll go ahead and address this again. First, Bell Springs is a vast area, second, the original article was not published until the afternoon when the convoy was had been in the area since early morning.
CdFW went up the road at 8 am. Kym didn’t publish the story til 4pm.
Nice try!
You mean so they can hide their greenhouses 🤣 wouldn’t matter anyways they actually CAUGHT them and let them go even with a dozen firearms and cultivation so what’s the fuckin point anyways!
OMG!! LoL. Bite the worm would ya?
These dudes are not moving their crews due to a “heads up” on kymkemp.com. 1990 is over and These crews are blasting nortena not watching for kims “heads up amigo”. Aguas! Aguas!
Kymkemp – Guero Canelo.
Agreed. The signs everywhere…Aqua tierra y domicillo. At $500 and up a load. Like the days of old southern tenement farming. Pay at end of year. All profits go to the water deliveries. Tabs in the 6 figure digits. Pay up or? Reckon that is when the WIC and food stamp programs come in handy.
Anytime I’m in Laytonville I see more Mexicans than white people. I know the Mexicans work harder and they deserve it. White people got lazy and complacent. But I do not want cartels and that kind of management running town. Good hard-working Mexican families I will not mind…
Yeah you ran with this before. And it sounds like you’ve been around our block. But if you spend anytime in lville (which I try not to) you know it’s a lie that you see more “Mexicans than white people
Or I’m just fucking colorblind
Crazy thing to consider. Much of California is populated by US citizens who you would probably call Mexican by sight. I’ve bought weed from and sold weed with Mexicans for about 15 years, all across the country, most were long term residents and actual cartels haven’t been a factor in almost a decade.
Obviously the actual cartels, that amount to the equivalent of the mafia in Mexico, are involved in large scale cannabis production in this state and others. But the reality that I’ve lived with is that most Mexicans aren’t interested in working with them if they’ve actually made it here and are set up.
Mexican culture is flashy and centered on annual public events where people really dress up and try to show off. It’s not a “cartel” thing for Mexicans to show up to a community event dressed to the 9s, it’s a Mexican thing. This whole idea that is popularly held in our area about what constitutes a “cartels grow” is generally rooted in the same simplistic racism that runs the rest of the criminal justice system.
Me and my Mexican partners always joke that a “cartel grow” is proven by a pack of tortillas and a box of modelo
Hey just because you look guapo on the outside it does not mean you are on the inside. Throughout history he with the most toys wins. No matter the manner they were obtained. Those with less always seek and glorify the wow factor. Poverty is not glamorous. People put up with a lot many DIE trying to escape it.❤️
Meanwhile, are large cities of tens of millions are rotting, fentenal murder, crystal, meth, and drugs that are even worse if possible