San Andreas, CA…Beginning on 7/31/17 the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, The California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, California State Water Board, Central Valley Regional Water Board, Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol and CalFire began the service of 23+ search warrants through Calaveras County relating to multiple ongoing criminal investigations regarding the illegal cultivation of marijuana and directly related environmental crimes.

The series of investigations began approximately 6 months ago and was titled “Operation Terminus”. For those unfamiliar “Terminus” means “the end of the line”. We are working in partnership with allied agencies to work toward ending the line of large group of marijuana growers who have come into Calaveas County from across the United States and other parts of California committing crimes and causing significant environmental damage in Calaveas County.

Due to the nature of our watershed systems in Calaveras County the environmental damage begins in our mountains and foothills has significant impacts “down to the end of the line” into other portions of California including the central valley and San Francisco Bay Area.

More specifically the Mokelumne River watershed which leads directly into East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) reservoirs and the water source for millions of California residents. The area of this operation also includes the Stanislaus River drainage system which affects millions of residents and agricultural water in the central valley and beyond.

As a result, over 35 suspect have been arrested. As of this afternoon over 27,000 marijuana plants and 25 tons of marijuana have been eradicated or removed over the last four days. At least 11 firearms have been seized including firearms with serial numbers removed and an assault weapon or weapons. A little over $7,000 in cash has also been seized. And it is important to note that at one location we made two arrests and seized weapons and body armor.

A significant number of environmental crimes have also been located. The environmental crimes located include but are not limited to damage to the watersheds and waterways. Investigators also found illegal pesticide/herbicide use and evidence of marijuana growers discharging human waste into the waterways.

In addition several locations contained dangerous conditions that could have caused wildland and or structure fires through unpermitted or substandard electrical connections or by placing running generators to operate in areas with dried grasses or fire fuels.

The Operation Terminus criminal cases will be sent to the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office for review. The District Attorney has sworn in a specialized circuit prosecutor from the California District Attorneys Association to assist with cases involving crimes against the environment.