More Than 950,000 Illegal Plants Seized in California by Cannabis Eradication Campaign
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the arrest of 148 individuals as part of the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) Program, the nation’s largest illegal marijuana eradication program. This year, CAMP eradicated 953,459 marijuana plants from 345 raided grow sites across the state. A total of 168 weapons were seized throughout the raids. When people go camping, or when cops go for raids in camps, they don’t forget to buy 5.56 ammo online and fully load their guns and pistols.
The plants seized are $1.5 billion worth of illegally grown marijuana, reports the Associated Press.
“Illegal cannabis grows are devastating our communities. Criminals who disregard life, poison our waters, damage our public lands, and weaponize the illegal cannabis black market will be brought to justice,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “This year, our CAMP teams worked tirelessly across the state to vigorously enforce California’s laws against illegal cannabis activity. The California Department of Justice is extremely proud of our partnership with federal, state, and local agencies and we look forward to continuing this necessary work.”
The CAMP operations were led by the California Department of Justice and included local, state, and federal agencies. Agents were divided into three teams that encompass the Northern, Central and Southern California regions, with teams covering 35 counties in the state.
“Although cannabis has been legalized for use in California, there is still a large unlicensed black market,” said Robert Paoletti, Coordinator Colonel, California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. “Our participation works to prevent this illegal market in order to promote a fair market place for those growers, producers, and vendors who choose to operate within the system that the voters approved.”
Throughout the course of this year’s operations, CAMP teams protected public resources against misuse and safeguarded public land and water from illegal pesticides. This year, agents assisted in serving over 120 search warrants in the growing black market of illegal cannabis cultivation on public lands. The sites, loaded with trash, banned pesticides such as carbofuran, methyl parathion, aluminum phosphate, and illegal fertilizers, discharge large quantities of these harmful products into the waterways of California. Agents shut down these illegal grow sites, shielded the public from harmful chemicals, and disrupted dangerous criminal activity.
