Raid East Of Temecula Nets 3 Tons Of Marijuana

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Six people were arrested Monday after deputies and wildlife officials raided marijuana cultivators east of Temecula.

Aguanga residents Leonard Arthur Engren Jr., 44, Phil Neomahavong, 66, Travis Walter Barnaby, 28, Casey Patrick Gibbs, 26, Brent Taylor Tory Smith, 24, and Fermin Vargas Taluinde, 30, were all taken into custody after 13 warrants were served at Aguanga marijuana growing sites.

During the raid by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials seized over three tons of marijuana, including approximately 15,192 marijuana plants and 2,356 pounds of processed marijuana, according to figures from the sheriff's department.

Seven rifles, five handguns and two shotguns were also booked into evidence, according to the sheriff's department.

One of the grows was using carbofuran, the sheriff's department reported. The extremely toxic pesticide is banned in the United States and is known to be very harmful to wildlife and humans.

"Marijuana cultivation negatively impacts the environment in many ways, including diminishing and poisoning the water table and pesticides adversely affecting the health of neighboring residents," the sheriff's department said.