105 Arrested, 270K Marijuana Plants Seized In LA County Joint Op

LANCASTER, CA — Los Angeles County law enforcement nabbed 105 suspects and more 270,000 marijuana plants in a massive Antelope Valley raid spanning 167 locations, authorities announced Tuesday.

It's the second time in the last year that authorities conducted a crackdown on illegal marijuana grow operations in the Antelope Valley. In July, authorities seized $1.9 billion from marihuana operations in the Antelope Valley. This month's nine-day joint operation aimed at taking down multiple illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley also resulted in the seizure of several tons of marijuana products, the county sheriff's department announced.

The Marijuana Eradication Team -- which consists of the sheriff's department, the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife -- served 278 marijuana cultivation-related search warrants in the Antelope Valley between May 17 and Friday, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.

The search warrants also resulted in the seizure of at least 40 firearms, including 11 ghost guns, and nearly 57,000 pounds of harvested marijuana. sheriff's officials said.

The operation resulted in the demolition of at least 167 locations after authorities determined they were unsafe to work in, Villanueva said.

The LASD anticipates warrants will be served at the remaining 60 to 75 illegal cultivation sites identified in the Antelope Valley by fall 2022.

LASD Narcotics investigators created the email address MarijuanaTips@lasd.org in July 2021, and anyone who can provide information to detectives investigating marijuana cultivation cases was encouraged to contact via email.

City News Service and Patch Staffer contributed to this report.