NORTHERN HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. (KIEM) – From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office: Following a weeklong operation investigating the illegal cultivation of marijuana in Northern Humboldt County, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) has served 11 search warrants, eradicated approximately 30,252 growing marijuana plants and destroyed over 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana.
On July 11 and 12, 2018 deputies served five search warrants on parcels that did not possess nor were in the process of actively obtaining a commercial cannabis permit with the County of Humboldt.
On Wednesday, July 11, deputies served two search warrants in the Berry Summit area and one search warrant in the area of Sabertooth Road. On Thursday, July 12, deputies served two search warrants in the area of Blake Mountain near Hyampom. During the service of these warrants, deputies located multiple greenhouses and outdoor marijuana cultivation gardens. Deputies also located and seized three firearms and two high capacity magazines.
During the service of the five warrants, assisting agencies found the following violations:
– Twenty-one water diversion violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Six stream crossing violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Multiple water pollution violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Seven deposition of trash into a stream violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Discharge of waste into state waters violation (up to $5,000 fine per day)
– Spill of hazardous materials violation (up to $75,000 fine per day)
– Unpermitted fuel storage violation (up to $5,000 fine per day)
– Multiple grading without a permit violations (up to $10,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Multiple building code violations (up to $10,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Multiple improper disposal of garbage violations (up to $10,000 fine per day, per violation)
– Placing, or causing to be placed, live fish into a state waterway violation
– Burning of prohibited materials violation
– Poaching of a black-tailed deer violation
No arrests were made during the service of the warrants. Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed by the assisting agencies.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office thanks the following agencies for assisting in the service of this week’s warrants: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Humboldt County Environmental Health and HAZMAT Unit, California State Water Board, Humboldt County Planning and Building Department and Cal Fire.
Anyone with information about these cases or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
