September 3, 2021 4:20 p.m.
A large-scale criminal marijuana-grow, operating under the guise of a legal hemp operation has been shut down in Douglas County.
Over 49,000 marijuana plants with a street value of $50 million were seized.
Sergeant Brad O’Dell of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said DCSO and the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team executed a search warrant in the 1000 block of Scotts Valley Road on Wednesday. The warrant stemmed from an investigation into the black-market operation. O’Dell said law enforcement became aware of the operation after receiving tips from concerned citizens.
When law enforcement arrived, between 30 and 50 workers began fleeing the location on foot. An individual identified as the manager of the facility, 44-year old Jose Figueroa-Aguilar of Modesto, California, was ultimately taken to jail on charges of unlawful possession and unlawful manufacture of marijuana.
O’Dell said deputies located multiple vehicles, tents and two RV’s concealed under green houses and in the timber. The property was also found to be littered with garbage, fertilizer, containers and human waste, all of which was located adjacent to Elk Creek.
A release said two large swimming pools were being utilized as water holding tanks being fed by water pumps from Elk Creek. The water pumps are required to be metered, but were not.
O’Dell said approximately 150 greenhouses containing the plants were found on the property. Testing on the marijuana revealed high levels of THC. No hemp plants were located anywhere on the property.
Harvesting of the marijuana plants had begun, however it did not appear that any of it had been released into the community.
O’Dell said due to the sheer size of the illegal operation, law enforcement spent two days conducting eradication and destruction of the marijuana plants. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be pending.
The release said Douglas County, as well as multiple other Oregon counties, are seeing a large number of black-market-marijuana grows which have been disguised as sanctioned hemp grows popping up in local communities. O’Dell said the operations are being financed and ran by organized crime enterprises. Residents with concerns about possible illegal marijuana operations, can call DINT at 440-4474.
Figueroa-Aguilar was released from custody on Thursday.