Q3 Enforcement Highlights

• 133,372 pounds of illegal cannabis destroyed
• 234,198 cannabis plants eradicated, which would have used up to 105 million gallons of water over their growing cycles
• 18 arrests made
• 22 firearms confiscated
• Enforcement activity spanned 15 counties, including Monterey, Los Angeles, Kern, Alameda, and Shasta

The largest enforcement action of the quarter took place in July in Monterey County, where UCETF partners led by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department dismantled a major illegal cultivation site. In the weeks following the operation, Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), California and local authorities destroyed more than 38 tons of cannabis, valued at over $125 million—one of the most significant cannabis enforcement efforts in state history.

“The impact from illegal cannabis operators is real,” said DCC Director Nicole Elliott. “They do not just break the law, they put our neighborhoods, environment, and licensed cannabis businesses at risk. These enforcement actions demonstrate continued dedication to protecting our communities and building a legal and safe cannabis market California consumers can trust.”

In August, UCETF partners led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) eradicated nearly 27,000 illegal cannabis plants valued at more than $22 million in Los Angeles County, detaining 20 suspects and seizing toxic pesticides imported from China. In Napa County, California State Parks officers halted a water diversion in a state park linked to illegal cultivation and, during an unrelated emergency, rescued a kidnapped child. The swift response ensured the child’s safe recovery, and the arrest of a suspect wanted for multiple violent felonies.

Top Five Counties by Enforcement Impact

This quarter’s enforcement success was the result of a coordinated multiagency effort involving dozens of state, local, and federal partners. In addition to DCC and CDFW, participating state departments included: California State Parks, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, the California Department of Justice (CalDOJ), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the State Water Resources Control Board, and the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Their combined expertise and resources were critical in identifying, investigating, and dismantling illegal cannabis operations across the state.

“Illegal cannabis grow operations take—and often contaminate—natural resources that California’s fish and wildlife depend on for their survival,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “California is fortunate to have so many partners working in coordination to dismantle these unlicensed commercial grow sites statewide and prioritize both our public safety and the health of our environment.”

About UCETF

UCETF was established in 2022 by Governor Newsom to enhance collaboration and enforcement coordination between state, local, and federal partners. The taskforce is co-chaired by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and coordinated by the Homeland Security Division of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). It includes more than two dozen local, state, and federal partners working together to disrupt the illegal cannabis market.

Since its inception in 2022, UCETF partners have seized and destroyed over 325 tons of illicit cannabis products, valued at more than $913 million, through more than 580 search warrant operations across 28 counties. They have also eradicated over 1 million cannabis plants, made 72 arrests, and seized more than $1.3 million in cash and 223 firearms. 

To learn more about the legal California cannabis market, state licenses, and laws, visit cannabis.ca.gov.

To learn how to recognize and report illegal cannabis cultivation on public lands in California, see CDFW’s fact sheet.