$38 Million Worth Of Marijuana Discovered In Anza: Deputies

ANZA, CA — A $38 million marijuana bust was conducted by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department this week in Anza, marking the second large-scale law enforcement cannabis operation reported in recent weeks.

The recent bust took place Monday and Tuesday near Cooper Cienega Truck Trail, south of Tule Peak Road, and east of Temecula.

"Over the course of two days, the operation worked to eradicate illegal cultivation sites on over 580 acres of public and private land," according to the sheriff's department. "Over 41,000 marijuana plants were eradicated. In addition, 600 pounds of processed marijuana were recovered from a makeshift processing shed."

The combination of processed marijuana and plants that were chopped down had an estimated street value of $38 million, according to the department.

No arrests were announced.

The operation included deputies from Hemet Sheriff’s Station, as well as officials with the Riverside District Attorney’s Office Cannabis Regulation Task Force, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, and Campaign Against Marijuana Planting.

Last month, the sheriff's department announced it had busted up marijuana cultivation sites spread out over more than 1,500 acres of public and private land in unincorporated areas of Hemet and Sage. In that operation, the cannabis street value was estimated at $45 million, according to the department.

"These illegal cultivations cause deforestation, destroy wildlife habitats, pose a threat to the citizens of Riverside County, and utilize hazardous chemical pollutants that cause damage to the environment. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department remains dedicated to eradicating these illegal cultivation sites," the department said in a news release.