Thousands Of Marijuana Plants Found In Illegal Santa Cruz Grows

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Two search warrants served on unregulated commercial cannabis operations in Santa Cruz County have netted nearly 3,000 marijuana plants and illegal firearms, sheriff's officials are reporting Monday. Deputies served a search warrant at eight related properties in the 17000 block of Bear Creek Road in Boulder Creek on May 6 as part of an investigation into unregulated commercial cannabis cultivation, illegal grading and stream diversions, sheriff's officials said. At the site, investigators seized 1,079 marijuana plants and found water from a Bear Creek tributary being used to cultivate the weed, sheriff's officials said. No arrests were made, but an additional investigation is underway to determine the extent of environmental impact from the stream diversion.

Officials also served a search warrant at an 80-acre land parcel in the 500 block of Whalebone Gulch Road in Boulder Creek. At the site, investigators seized 1,673 cannabis plants under cultivation inside large, non-permitted greenhouses; 61 pounds of processed cannabis; 50 pounds of recently harvested cannabis plants; 6.9 pounds of processed cannabis concentrate; as well as gold and silver valued at more than $120,000, sheriff's officials reported. Investigators also discovered evidence of commercial sales at the site, as well as a loaded handgun, one loaded unlawful assault rifle, one loaded unlawful AK-47 and one rifle, sheriff's officials said. Numerous loaded high-capacity ammunition magazines and tactical body armor were also confiscated, according to the officials. No arrests were made.

Both cases have been turned over to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office for potential criminal charges.