Wildlife officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) spent part of this week doing something that looks a lot more like a crime drama than a nature documentary, helping partner agencies dismantle a large methamphetamine conversion operation tied to illegal cannabis cultivation in Kern and Los Angeles counties. The coordinated raids led to a major drug seizure, multiple firearms taken off the street and thousands of marijuana plants destroyed, and officials say the takedown is another reminder of the environmental and public-safety risks that come with illicit grows.
According to KMPH, investigators in Kern County recovered about 65 pounds of crystal meth and roughly 85 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, which officials estimated could convert into about 596 additional pounds of crystal meth. The Kern County searches also turned up five firearms, nearly 1,500 cannabis plants and about 50 pounds of processed cannabis. Two people were arrested in connection with the operation.
Environmental and Public-Safety Risks
State officials say illegal cannabis grows are not just about black-market weed; they frequently involve restricted pesticides that can contaminate soil and waterways, posing serious hazards to wildlife, nearby communities and even first responders who have to enter the sites. As outlined by the Governor’s Office, recent UCETF operations have repeatedly documented bottles labeled carbofuran and methamidophos at illicit cultivation locations, along with extensive environmental damage.
Los Angeles Warrants Turn Up Toxic Chemicals
In Los Angeles County, wildlife officers and partner agencies served six search warrants that led to the eradication of nearly 9,000 illegal cannabis plants and the seizure of about 26 pounds of processed cannabis. Authorities also recovered three bottles of methamidophos, a highly toxic restricted-use pesticide, according to KMPH. Officials noted that the presence of those chemicals drives up cleanup costs and increases the risks to anyone who has to go into the sites after the fact…