Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
In an effort to deter and eradicate illegal marijuana cultivation sites, the newly funded Sheriff’s Cannabis Compliance Team has been identifying illegal cultivators in Santa Barbara County. The goal of the team is to stop the illegal cultivation of marijuana and prevent the environmental crimes associated with these illegal grows.
On September 6, 2018, investigators from the Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau, Santa Barbara Police Department, California Fish & Wildlife, County District Attorney’s Investigator’s Office and the County’s Planning and Development Department served a series of search warrants in Nipomo, Santa Barbara County and Palos Verdes involving the illegal cultivation of marijuana. During the investigation, a 62-year-old Palos Verdes resident was determined to be involved in an illegal marijuana grow located on several properties in the Tepusquet area. Investigators contacted the person of interest and served a search warrant in the 500 block of Via Estrada Drive in Palos Verdes. While at the location, numerous documents were seized related to the illegal cultivation sites as well as evidence of a false document filed with the county concerning the marijuana grow.
Simultaneously, investigators served search warrants at properties located in the 7900 block of Blazing Saddle Dr. and the 1800 block of Tepusquet Rd. At these locations, investigators found a large marijuana cultivation site and an additional site that was being prepared to cultivate marijuana.
In all, investigators eradicated more than 1,400 marijuana plants. They also observed environmental violations involving disruptions of the streambed and grading. A follow up search warrant took investigators to the 800 block of Chata Steet, where a small amount of heroin and additional marijuana cultivation related documents were located.
While investigators were eradicating the marijuana plants, they observerd a neighboring property in the 1800 block of Tepusquet Rd with an illegal marijuana grow. Investigators conducted an investigation and eradicated an additional 174 marijuana plants.
Based on the evidence located, the Sheriff’s office will be requesting the District Attorney’s Office review the information for potential charges related to the illegal marijuana cultivation and perjury.
The Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office would like to take this opportunity to remind our community members that Santa Barbara County has developed a county ordinance that provides a path to legally cultivate marijuana within the county.
Probably going to open up their own pot store..
I tell you, between jay walking sting operations, policing electric scooters, making plastic straws illegal and this…….. I don’t know how law enforcement will ever have time to deal with the aggressive homeless on State Street or our out of control gang situation.
The owl was booked & released as he was only in possession of a few squash plants.
Oh No!!! Disruption of a streambed!!! The horror….the horror…
After the destruction in Montecito, I would think there would be more concern about the possible disruption of a stream bed, and/or grading the land, which could cause flooding in local or other areas. People are usually concerned about stream beds being kept free of brush, trees, and other plants because of what can happen in a rainstorm. If those plants were swept away, they could easily clog drainage, and cause flooding.
Stream beds are crucial to native plants and wildlife, especially in drought years. Selfish human scum.
Marijuana is a native plant. It’s been here since the dawn of time. How many stream beds have been disrupted to build those Montecito mansions?
I could be wrong but I believe that it is not native to The Americas. And, only arrived in the United States around 1900.
At least it wasn’t near a school in a small town, oh no they weren’t collecting tax on this. So this marijuana is illegal. Not the first not the last. Yep you think they are bigger problems, right.
Heroes don’t steal plants.
An astoundingly stupid waste of money and resources. The War on Drugs has been an abysmal failure for everyone but LE unions, prisons and weapon manufactures. They’ve all made billions while our rights and our liberty have been destroyed.
Why are we wasting resources on this ? And dont say its environmental as there are more chemicals leaking from the Sherriffs’s motor pool than on a grow site of this type. What a farce.
The wind is blowing towards national legalization. A half dozen mega farms in Iowa will put all of these small legal and illegal growers out of business. And one or two national chain Starbucks-style shops will put all of the dispensaries out of business. From a government perspective, it’s way easier to manage audit a few legal entities versus lots of little ones. People are making a lot of money now but don’t be the last guy holding the bag when the lights go out.