Fourteen people were arrested and nine firearms and $29,215 in cash were confiscated in the third quarter’s operations across nine California counties.[1] Six of the arrests came in a multiagency operation near the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area in Butte County, where officers also seized or destroyed nearly 2,700 pounds of cannabis and eradicated more than 5,300 plants.[2]

Between July and September, authorities seized or destroyed 55,308 pounds of cannabis, about 25,100 kilograms, and eradicated 108,226 plants, an estimated $91 million in product by the state’s count.[1] For January to September, the task force seized or destroyed 139,293 pounds of cannabis and eradicated 236,846 plants.[1] The governor’s office valued that nine-month haul at more than $230 million.[2] Since the task force was established in 2022, the state reports having seized or destroyed an estimated $1.47 billion worth of illicit cannabis, 896,514 pounds in all, and eradicated 1,441,826 plants.[1]

In Alameda County, officers seized more than 19,300 pounds and eradicated more than 38,500 plants at indoor cultivation sites in Hayward and Oakland.[1] Investigators reported suspected connections to organized criminal networks, along with utility theft, electrical hazards and unregistered pesticides.[1] A three-day operation near Lancaster in Los Angeles County resulted in about 16,760 pounds seized and more than 33,000 plants eradicated.[1] Officers there also recovered firearms and methamphetamine and documented environmental concerns in nearby desert habitat.[1] Operations in Mendocino County added more than 4,400 pounds seized or destroyed and nearly 7,000 plants eradicated.[1]

The task force is co-chaired by the Department of Cannabis Control and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, with coordination from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.[2] Its investigations also address illegal water diversions, hazardous pesticides, suspected labor exploitation and other violations tied to unlicensed marijuana operations.[1] The figures reflect seizures and estimated product values, not actual sales or revenue generated by illegal operators.[1]