LANCASTER – A joint operation to take down multiple illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley resulted in more than 100 arrests so far this year and the destruction of several thousand pounds of marijuana products, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Tuesday.
The Marijuana Eradication Team — which consists of the LASD, the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — served 116 marijuana cultivation-related search warrants in the Antelope Valley in the first four months of 2022, sheriff’s officials said at a press conference on Tuesday, May 17.
The search warrants resulted in 100 misdemeanor arrests and seven felony arrests. Authorities also seized 101,090 marijuana plants and 53 firearms, and 14,980 pounds of harvested marijuana was destroyed.
“Continuing in the spring of 2022 … narcotics investigators conducted aerial reconnaissance with the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force,” according to the LASD. “They identified 350 outdoor cultivation sites in the Antelope Valley, down from over 750 locations in 2021. This reduction in cultivation sites is directly related to increased enforcement efforts in the Antelope Valley.”
Search warrants were served at 80% of the identified cultivation sites, and the LASD anticipates warrants will be served at the remaining 20% by fall 2022. LASD Sheriff Alex Villanueva said illegal dispensaries “are a source of extreme amounts of violence.”
“You have robberies, you have murders that we’re handling,” Villanueva said. “Other agencies have to handle in the basin, and they’re all tied to the cash trade down in these illegal dispensaries. In fact, illegal dispensaries outnumber the legal ones 50 to 1. That will give you the size of the magnitude of the problem that we’re handling right here.”
LASD narcotics investigators have created the email address MarijuanaTips@lasd.org, and anyone who can provide information on illegal marijuana cultivation is encouraged to contact detectives via email.
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Riker Bono says
This is not in Lancaster or Lake L.A., it’s all in Hi Vista from 140th east to 260th east (county line road) and from Ave. C to Ave. J.
W. Nelson says
It’s too close to the Lancaster cabal’s operations. The good old boys don’t like competition.
just me says
unintended consequences – now the Lancaster shelter has 61 dog intakes in 2 days from these illegal grows and we all know they steal, find, or snatch up loose dogs and hold them hostage on their grow properties for cheap security. Thanks A’holes – now a ton more dogs will be Euthanized because these people can’t keep their hands off of other people’s property or follow the laws. ANYONE MISSING A DOG FOR A LONG TIME…..WATCH THE SHELTER. GO ADOPT A DOG TODAY….OR SIGN UP TO FOSTER. LANCASTER SHELTER NEEDS YOUR HELP. https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
Guest says
Saw it….Awesome….
FredM says
So good to see the LASD (Villanueva) achieving positive results fighting all the illegal grows in the AV.
One of the reasons I voted to legalize marijuana was so our government could get their share of the profits like they do with alcohol, cigarettes and just about everything else.
There will still be plenty of marijuana for those who want/need it but the profits won’t be shipped across our borders. The money spent on cannabis will have a better chance to stay in our valley.
Joe says
The only legal weed belongs to the mayor here in the AV. It’s corruption.
ACE says
SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA’S CONSTANT “POOR MOUTH..” COMPLAINTS ABOUT HIS
UNDER FUNDED BUDGET ARE RINGING FALSE…
OR IS SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA JUST ANOTHER BUREAUCRATIC MARIJUANA PHOBE..?
RAIDING MORE UNLICENSED BACK YARD DESERT POT FARMS WITH HIS ATTACK HELICOPTERS AND SWAT TEAMS IN FULL GEAR…
IS THE THREAT OF GROWING CHEAPO BAD WEED GROWN AT HOME BY IDIOTS…
WITH WHO KNOWS WHAT CHEMICALS..?
WORSE THAN SO MANY OTHER CURRENT AND WAY MORE HARMFUL MAJOR CRIMES AND PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES..?
OR IS SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA JUST MAKING SURE HIS DEPUTIES ALL HAVE
ALL THE FREE BUZZ WEED THEY CAN POSSIBLY SMOKE AND HAND OUT TO THEIR INFORMANTS..?
***
A REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO HAVE THE NEW STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF COLLECTING ALL OF THE INSANELY HIGH POT TAXES…
SIMPLY DROP BY AFTER FIRST SENDING THEM A WARNING LETTER…
WOULDN’T IT BE FAR BETTER TO OFFER LICENSES TO THESE OFFENDERS FIRST..?
MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC IS PROTECTED AND THE TAXES COLLECTED..?
WHEN A SERIOUS CRIMINAL OFFENDER IS DETERMINED TO CONTINUE, TAKE THEM TO CIVIL COURT…
GET A JUDGE TO ORDER THEIR CLOSURE AND OR SEIZE THE REAL PROPERTY FOR UNCOLLECTED FEES AND TAXES…
SURE SEEMS LIKE A MORE REASONABLE AND LESS COSTLY APPROACH TO ME…
HOW ABOUT YOU..?
Roger cason says
You are a idiot.these are far more than backyard grows.these people steel water.threaten the public.wake up…we do not have the water to support these massive grows.stealing water or not illegal means illegal.
Joe says
Only people connected to local politicians get to partake in the industry. Here in the AV it’s all run by an elected official. Gotta go through him if you want to play.
W. Nelson says
The Lancaster good old boys don’t like competition.
Tim Scott says
Given the horrific low quality of their product you can’t really blame them.
Iconoclast says
The State says that revenue is down from the marijuana industry, so the Sheriff and his cohorts go after the allegedly illegal growers. Meanwhile, the dear City of Lancaster allows “medical” marijuana factories to grow and distribute their product. During the last city election, last month, Sheriff Alex endorsed Crist and Malhi. So, presumably, these Republicans will endorse Democrat (?) Sheriff Alex. After all of this grandstanding, it will be status quo. We need a new Sheriff!
Joe says
Yes from what I hear our mayor, Rex Parris and his son run all the legal cannabis in lancaster. Shameful. They used their position for a monopoly while boxing out entrepreneurs.
Sue says
So they destroyed 80% and they know where the other 20% is but they’re not going to get around to serving warrants till the fall? So glad I left that sewer of a state.
Stinger says
Soooo… Nothing actually happened. This is just an incompetent sheriff trying to drum up public support with a press conference saying how busy they are catching criminals…
Since the incorporation of police departments it has been known that this puffery is not an acceptable means by which to judge any constabulary. “The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.” – Sir Robert Peel, creator of the first municipal police force… This ain’t a new concept.
I would suggest to Villanueva to concentrate less on political stunts and press conferences and more on his clearance rates. Seems they’ve dropped a LOT since his predecessor. You can’t blame the DA for cases you haven’t even given him to prosecute, you pathetic excuse for a law enforcement leader, Villanueva.
Lae says
all Villanueva does is these dumb stunts for political gain and then cry on facebook about the Board of Supervisors and “defunding the police.” he’s a disaster.
Barbara says
They have not been out here in lake LA area in 2022. Why not? We have that many criminal enterprises out here on its own merit. NO arrests here
Tom says
This whole opperation is in Lake La. Drive to Saddle Back camp grounds, and you will see what is going on.