This week on Monday (9th), the San Bernardino County Marijuana Enforcement Team in Southern California discovered hidden marijuana worth over $100 million in the Mojave Desert, and no one was arrested.
Around 7 a.m. that day, law enforcement officers arrived at Oak Hills in Victor Valley, in the western Mojave Desert, to execute a search warrant. Inside a newly constructed metal building on the east side of a 5-acre piece of land, they found over 3,000 garbage bags filled with marijuana, each weighing approximately 30 to 50 pounds.
This operation was massive, with law enforcement officers collaborating with agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to uncover the largest quantity of illegal marijuana in recent years. The total weight of the marijuana exceeded 90,000 pounds, and it took law enforcement officers two days to fill 51 trucks. The investigation is still ongoing, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information to contact the Marijuana Enforcement Team at (909)387-8400.
According to the California Bureau of Cannabis Control website, in San Bernardino County, only five cities are allowed to cultivate marijuana, namely Barstow, Adelanto, Needles, San Bernardino City, and Colton, while all unincorporated areas prohibit cultivation.
In 2016, California voters passed Proposition 64, legalizing recreational marijuana and allowing individuals to grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use. The penalties for illegal marijuana cultivation were reduced from felonies to misdemeanors, with a maximum fine of $500. However, illegal marijuana cultivation remains profitable, making it challenging for law enforcement to curb such activities.
On January 23 of this year, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a man claiming he had been shot but did not know his location. Through cell phone tracking, authorities arrived at El Mirage, a non-incorporated community in the western Victor Valley of the Mojave Desert.
Six individuals were found shot dead near an SUV, including identified victims Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran (34) and Franklin Noel Bonilla (22) from Adelanto, and Kevin Dariel Bonilla (25) from Hesperia.
Six days later, Sheriff Shannon Dicus announced the arrest of five suspects, charged with murder and denied bail. They included Toniel Baez-Duarte (34) and Mateo Baez-Duarte (24) from Apple Valley, along with Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia (33), Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sarabia (34), and Jose Manuel Burgos Parra (26) from Adelanto.
Dicus expressed shock at the occurrence of the six murders, emphasizing the string of related incidents since the county began to restrict illegal marijuana cultivation. He highlighted the prevalence of crimes associated with illegal marijuana cultivation, such as theft of water, electricity, and threats to drivers who inadvertently come across these cultivation sites.
Peter Hanink, an assistant professor of sociology and criminology at Cal Poly Pomona, compared the marijuana issue to the increase in crime rates in New York State in the late 2000s due to a rise in tobacco taxes. He suggested that when high-value goods are in demand and cannot be met legally, a black market emerges, often leading to violent incidents. This phenomenon could explain the occurrence of shootings where individuals attempt to pass messages, thwart competitors from entering the market, or eliminate rivals.
Can allowing more areas to cultivate marijuana prevent criminal activities like shootings? In Riverside County, despite 14 cities (excluding Riverside City) and all unincorporated areas being permitted to grow marijuana, seven illegal marijuana workers were shot dead in the rural community of Aguanga in September 2020.
Over the years, Dicus has urged lawmakers to strengthen penalties for illegal marijuana cultivation, to no avail. In his view, allowing more areas to cultivate marijuana has sparked what he described as an “epidemic” in California, characterized by the black market for marijuana and cartel activities.
“We need to prevent these senseless murders; with some adjustments, we have the capability to do so,” Dicus stated. The county is exploring different strategies to eradicate illegal marijuana cultivation, including restricting the use of labs to extract tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in marijuana that excites consumers. Violating the county’s regulations may result in fines for growers, felony charges for bypassing electric meters illegally, and lengthy imprisonment penalties exceeding those for illegal cultivation. Environmental contamination with pesticides by growers can also lead to prosecution.