San Andreas, CA…On June 17th, 2021, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Unit served a search warrant for illegal marijuana cultivation on two adjoining addresses in the 9000 block of Avenue A in Mountain Ranch. Upon arrival at the scene, Deputies contacted ten persons at the site. Several of these persons had identification documents or indicated that they had travelled from several different countries, including Spain, Argentina, and Chile.

Deputies discovered evidence that numerous persons had been living at the site in primitive conditions. Generators, fuel cans, and electrical cords were found and trash and debris were scattered throughout. Notably, the cultivation sites contained improvised shower and lavatory structures with a pit of human waste draining directly into the ground. These structures were within 20-30 feet of a natural water drainage leading into a large pond.

Deputies seized 1,055 growing marijuana plants, 341 pounds of processed marijuana, various amounts of Cocaine, Codeine, Ecstasy, Psilocybin Mushrooms, Concentrated Marijuana “Hash”, and Methamphetamine. Much of the marijuana at the sites had already been harvested and had either been already fully processed and packaged for sales or was in the drying stage. The estimated value of the seized and eradicated marijuana exceeds $2,000,000.

Deputies placed six suspects under arrest and placed them into custody. Romina Chelen, age 37, Marc De Madre-Hererra, age 33, Manuel Alejandro Capano Rastrojo, age 27, Maria Angeles Rata, age 35, and Gabriel Rodriguez, age 26, were booked into the Calaveras County Jail on charges of 11358 H&S Illegal Marijuana Cultivation, 11359 H&S Possession of Marijuana for Sale, and 182 PC Conspiracy to Commit Crime. Gabriela Gomez, age 38, was booked into the Calaveras County Jail and charged with 11550 H&S Under the Influence of Controlled Substances.

The Calaveras Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with knowledge of illegal marijuana operations to call the Sheriff’s Office Anonymous Marijuana Tip Line at (209) 754-6870.