CLEARLAKE OAKS >> Law enforcement officers seized more than 45,000 marijuana plants during two operations on Monday.
The large scale search of properties in Clearlake Oaks also netted 186 pounds of processed marijuana, two firearms and led to the arrest of six suspects. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit called upon County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication team (COMMET) and the California National Guard Drug Task Force for help in the operations.
Acting on search warrants, officers descended simultaneously on a greenhouse complex and neighboring field in the 24000 block of E. Highway 20, an area formerly known as Oasis Motocross. They found both indoor and outdoor grows at the complex and thousands of plants on the mountainside plot.
They detained six suspects in the initial raid. Officers recovered the weapons, 118 approximately one pound bags of manicured marijuana bud, and 1883 plants. At the adjacent parcel, detectives seized 43,052 plants , 339 plants growing near a cabin and approximately 68 pounds of processed marijuana drying inside the cabin.
In all they seized 45,274 plants.
Following the operation, officers located another suspect walking along Highway 20. The investigation led to the arrest of 58-year-old Jeffrey Mann, 51-year-old She Huang, 46-year-old Xiaofeng Wang, 51-year-old Tanng Zhili, 39-year-old Martin Arellano-Carillo, and 29- year-old Severiano Carrillo-Alvarado.
The water source for mountainside grow site was being diverted from a creek with a gasoline pump to a mountain top man-made reservoir. The greenhouse complex was fed in part by a pond with unpermitted grading.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information that can assist the Narcotics Unit with this effort is encouraged to call the anonymous tip line at 263-3663.
