Agents took away 180 animals, including five puppies. Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, and I held a recent helicopter tour and roundtable discussion with Attorney General Rob Bonta, local law enforcement, elected officials, andrepresentatives of water agencies to bring new light and collaboration to the issue. Legalization has pushed them to the brink, Antioch approves wholesale cannabis distribution in north Antioch, Cannabis dispensary burglary suspects arrested in Pacifica, People can now buy marijuana from a vending machine in Colorado (yes, really). Villanueva said California's relatively lenient laws and penalties were making the situation worse. Our local law enforcement teams have done an excellent job, but a multi-pronged effort that includes state, federal and local law enforcement entities is needed if we ever hope to take control of the problem and restore our high desert communities to the law-abiding citizens and businesses that belong here. Over 200 locations were served with search warrants, while 375,000 marijuana plants and 33,000 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized. Carter said the whole setup showed a great deal of expertise, calling it "sophisticated. Similar illegal marijuana grow operations are spread across California's 8 th District, with a particularly high concentration in the Morongo Basin and Lucerne Valley. Sadly, even several hundred miles of separation have provided the residents no protection from Bidens broken border policies. Months before the June raids, law enforcement counted all of the farms they could identify from the air. Opinion | A large cartel-run marijuana farm was destroyed by multiple California law enforcement agencies in Antelope Valley, Tuesday. While farming is going on in the valley in the more traditional sense, with irrigated fields showing up as . Largest illegal pot bust in Los Angeles County history nets 373,000 plants worth $1B on the street. Popular majors include Liberal Arts and Humanities, Aircraft Maintenance, and Social Science Research Methods. until WED 12:00 PM PST, Antelope Valley. 1. Sheriff Villanueva expressed additional concern over the cannabis farms, saying the cartel sites were allegedly linked to two 2020 murders in the area. Tap here to add The Western Journal to your home screen. SpouseParentChildSiblingFamily memberOther, Sweet James has my permission to help provide a free police report, Ciel Spa aka @CielSpaBH located the SLS Hotel i, Welcoming over 100,000 people every year, what beg, The holiday season is a time of giving! Bringing statewide awareness is a start, and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the rights of law-abiding families in Sacramento. It only takes one of them to cut a deal, Man found shot to death in Lancaster [UPDATE: Victim IDd], Woman found dead in Lancaster garage identified, SoCalGas says reliefs on way from sky-high bills. The Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve , for a few weeks every year, presents a glorious exhibition of native wildflowers including the state flower, the California Golden Poppy. This issue is plaguing the Antelope Valley and has the potential to spread throughout Los Angeles County, Barger said. Whaaaa, whaaaaa, lol. 30% OFF FOR NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY! "For those of you who voted for Prop 47 thinking there was going to be a legalized and controlled and regulated market, it didn't happen," Villanueva said. In a special "Hannity" investigation, investigative journalist Sara Carter traveled to the Antelope Valley around Lancaster, Calif., where - hundreds of miles away from the Mexican border - the Biden's border policies are starkly affecting everyday Americans as cartel-linked marijuana growing operations have become a criminal plague. 686.4K. LAWeekly Instagram: Featuring the culture of LA since 1978 , Relationship with the Victim* The investigative reporter also called on President Joe Biden to tighten enforcement at the southern border, which would lower the cartels source of labor. In choosing where to live, affordability is always an essential factor to consider. Health Center. 2019 - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, International Liaison Unit Consulate Application, Mission Statement, Creed, and Core Values, https://lasd.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AVGrow1-1024x768.jpg, https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d17acab79bb8806a81f70b6402a24315?s=96&d=blank&r=g. She is based in Southern Californiafor nowbut her heart remains in Real America. 30% OFF FOR NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY! Buying cars from local dealers in the Antelope Valley means you'll not only get the best deal, but you'll be contributing to the growth of our valley and keeping our streets clean and safe. Ventura toured the inside of a San Bernadino grow operation that he said was worth $700,000. "At one point, a car spotted Carter's cameras from down the road, shifted in reverse, and drove quickly out of sight of the cameras," the report said. in 2020, a number that grew to 500 in 2021, with an average of 15 greenhouses per farm. Villanueva said that in 2020, sheriff's detectives identified 150 illegal marijuana grows in the area, and the number increased this year to more than 500. "They don't hide it because they don't feel they will ever be held accountable for it and they continue to sell their product not only across the United States, but according to law enforcement, they are moving millions of dollars, if not billions, overseas, and we don't even know where that's going.". Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said her office received reports of apparent cartel members going on other peoples property, taking over the property and threatening their lives if they try to interfere. The grow operations are lucrative, often yielding close to a million dollars, making the reward outweigh the risk for many people. An historic bust in the Antelope Valley resulted in the seizures of 16 tons of illegal marijuana with a street value of $1.2 billion and highlighted how illegal growers contribute to a myriad of major problems that California faces. Thank you for contacting us. Garcia told Ventura that he is increasingly focused on the border due to the Mexican cartels that have started up illegal marijuana-growing operations in communities like Palmdale and the Antelope Valley, where Ventura grew up. Antelope Valley Line is a Metrolink line from Lancaster to Los Angeles via Palmdale and Santa Clarita. The cartels are essentially making them work these grows and tend these grows so that they can get their citizenship, or whatever the trade is, Dicus said. Always nice when half the conversation gets deleted. we then thought that doubling our size on 23rd st. west to approximately 7,500 sq. NCES School ID: 060282000203. Shadowland Foundation. Joe Biden must close the border now. Their office will seek additional charges related to the destruction and contamination of local wildlife. Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. As for the grow operations, Garcia said they havestarted taking over entire neighborhoods and said they were spreading by the day. Unbridled Evil: The Corrupt Reign of Jiang Zemin in China. Today marks a new era as, Antelope Valley Hospital announces the launch of its new brand identity, with a newly designed logo and new name---. Today we have spoken with farmers armed cartel members up here in the High Desert stealing water in the middle of the night has become a common site, Villanueva said. The Legislature is also engaged in addressing the problem. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Daily (except Mon. "This is the cartels. ft. building on sierra hwy. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva described the region as becoming, once again, the "Wild West.". Officially made up of thirteen cities and many other sparsely populated areas, the Antelope Valley is located in the high desert of northern Los Angeles County. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? We must send a strong message that their criminal activity wont be tolerated any longer. In the same month, a multi-agency law enforcement operation cleared many illegal marijuana operations in what the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department (LASD) deemed the largest operation ever to take place in the history of LASD.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I really wanted to shine a light on what was happening in my hometown, Ventura said. Graduating 27% of students, AVC alumni go on to earn a starting . Weve already seen three or four communities in the Antelope Valley and in San Bernardino County that have been completely taken over by these cartels and pushing families away.. Couple Bidens disastrous border policies with those of Californias soon-to-be-recalled Governor Newsoms ineffectual immigration policies and there was a crime wave just waiting to break out. Black History is Still Being Made by These L.A. Creatives Follow Them Now! In June, his deputies, along with U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and National Guard troops, who helped with logistics and provided vehicles, descended on the 205 farms over about a week. Antelope Valley has historically been used for livestock grazing (private cattle/sheep operation as well as public allotments) and small-scale logging with the earliest documented use in 1922. (2021-2022 school year) Search Results Modify Search Data Notes/Grant IDs Help. Hillsides turn orange, purple, and yellow several weeks after the rain as the native flowers bloom. The southern edge of the valley is the San Andreas Fault. "Some of those need to involve prison and jail.". Opinion | Everybody just took off into the desert running when we showed up.. The AVC acceptance rate is 100%. This week, Representative Mike Garcia brought Fox News's Sara Carter to the Antelope Valley to raise awareness of the increasing problem of illegal marijuana grows and related crime in the Antelope Valley and surrounding areas, including Acton and Agua Dulce. The AV Times LLC. Thank you for putting your healthcare trust in AVMC. The grow kits allow the greenhouses to be built in a matter of days. Villanueva said his department would continue to aggressively target the illegal grows. Man who sold fatal dose of fentanyl to California college student gets 9 years in federal prison NEW Visitation Guidelines Please read prior to your hospital visit, Antelope Valley Outpatient Imaging Center. There's a difference between running a cartel and just doing the occasional drive-by for turf protection. This has been a problem thats been going on in our back yard for some time, Rep. Mike Garcia said in a press conference Tuesday. to the community for 65+ years. The city cost of living is only 27.4% higher than the national average. Other wildflowers: owl's clover, lupine, goldfield, cream cups, and coreopsis, to name a few, share the desert . But the growers do not stop there. Emma Coronel traveled to Southern California in mid-July, and on Aug. 15 gave birth to twin girls at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, according to birth records and a senior U.S. law . Really? Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. The elected leaders, flanked by state water and wildlife officials at the press conference, said the illegal marijuana farms were operating despite Californias Proposition 64, which legalized and created a marketplace for the drug. The sheriff said drug cartels had moved their farms from deep inside the regions forests out into the open of L.A. Countys massive deserts in order to build out bigger and more productive growing operations. 15 posted on 11/20/2021 5:19:54 AM PST by Gen.Blather (Wait . LANCASTER, Calif. (KABC) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration raided seven marijuana grow locations throughout the Antelope Valley on Friday in a multi-agency operation with local authorities . The presence of cartels also often leads to violence in communities. Many of the workers are illegal immigrants themselves who are forced into a never-ending cycle of indentured servitude. The vast valley lies some 200-300 miles away from the U.S. border with Mexico. Los Angeles Sherriff Alex Villanueva said at a June press conference that his department identified 150 illegal marijuana grows in Antelope Valley in 2020; this year, the number had grown to more . DNV is the first accreditation body to issue a Stroke Plus Certification, making Antelope Valley Medical Center a Thrombectomy Capable Center. Also published North Valley ed., Apr. The proliferation of illegal Marijuana cultivation operations throughout the high desert area has become an ever-growing problem in the Antelope Valley. Illegal marijuana grows threaten Antelope, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Illegal marijuana grows threaten Antelope Valleys way of life, Tom Campbell: California mishandled the budget surplus, heres what should be done moving forward. There are two stops in the valley: the Palmdale Transportation Center, which is the area's principal transit hub, and Lancaster, which is the end of the line. We had to think big, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. Antelope Valley Medical Center, the only full-service, acute-care, district Marijuana | SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. In April, a robbery at a . Armed cartel members were taking from wells maintained by alfalfa, potato and carrot farmers in the middle of the night, as well as breaking fire hydrants and operating their own illegal wells. "I really wanted to shine a light on what was happening in my hometown," Ventura said. What is naloxone and should everyone have access to it? The illegal grow operation up here, we counted 500 from the air, 500 illegal greenhouses.". Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. The drug cartel-linked operations have grown from 150 grows to 500 over the past year, which has resulted in water theft and environmental damage, he said. The land was purchased by the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) on behalf of the department in 1980 with the intent to preserve winter range and . Rosamond is a unincorporated community in Kern County, California, US, near the Los Angeles county line. Several killings and violent incidents were tied to the farms. Los Angeles Metro is a crime-infested train wreck State School ID: CA-1964246-1930213. The illegal marijuana grows are also dangerous for residents who may stumble upon them. Last month, Bonta toured Antelope Valley by helicopter to view the epidemic of illegal marijuana groves sprouting up around the state, sucking dry the water wells, aquifers, and other supplies . Travelers coming . "We're seeing towns in Southern California like the Antelope Valley and in East Lancaster, which are 300 miles away from the border, have a human smuggling trafficking problem," said Ventura. Illegal pot growing operations in the Antelope Valley are now an international cartel issue, according to Congressman Mike Garcia. The water thievery has reached record levels and is compromising the health and safety of our communities. / KCAL News. Antelope Valley High School Alumni Class List. We also offer service, and financing near the areas of San Diego, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and Santa Francisco. Amid California's ongoing drought, drug cartels have been stealing millions of gallons of water a day to feed illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley, officials said. In March, Joe Biden vaguely told reporters hed visit the southern border at some point, but he has yet to make the trip. Federal agents and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies took down 205 illegal cannabis farms operating in the Antelope Valley last month, officials said, snagging $1.2 billion in illegal . Antelope Acres is located in the Antelope Valley, the high desert area of northern Los Angeles County, approximately 13 miles (21 kilometers) from downtown Lancaster and 64 mi (103 km) from downtown Los Angeles. By contrast, numerous Republican members of Congress have visited sections of our border, as PJMedia reported here and here. LANCASTER - Law enforcement authorities cleared numerous illegal marijuana grow locations in the Antelope Valley Tuesday in what the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deemed "the largest operation ever to take place in the history of LASD.". Amid California's ongoing drought, drug cartels have been stealing 2-3 million gallons of water a day to feed illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley, officials said. When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris arent actively deflecting from the chaos at the border, or blaming Trump, theyre downplaying its severity. "Ensure that we don't allow to this just be like a whack-a-mole, where we're closing down one week and the next week they open," she said. Partly cloudy skies. In a special "Hannity" investigation, investigative journalist Sara Carter traveled to the Antelope Valley around Lancaster, Calif., where - hundreds of miles away from the Mexican border . Illegal marijuana grows in the once-quiet Antelope Valley are a threat to Californias environmental goals and the safety of Californians. . MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. Blondes, Brunettes and Burlesque at Peek-A-View, Hakeem Rowe Talks Insane Career Arc and His Departure From No Jumper, ASTN is Happier Than Ever about his newest release Be So Cruel, RealestK Isnt Nearly As Toxic As TikTok Is, Erykah Badu Drops That Badu Cannabis Line, Best HHC Products to Elevate Your Cannabis Experience, CA Legal Cannabis Faces Its Biggest Blizzard Yet, Understanding The Possible Allergies To Hemp Oil. If you see your name among the Antelope Valley High School graduates, someone is looking for you! The site had 74 greenhouses spreading over 10 acres of land, and the L . Villanueva expressed additional concern over the cannabis farms, antelope valley cartel the cartel sites were allegedly linked two! Think big, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said California 's relatively lenient laws and penalties were making the outweigh! Border, or blaming Trump, theyre downplaying its severity took off into the desert running when we up... 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