Three Tons of Marijuana Seized on Hwy 1 and California Coast

State and federal law enforcement officials are always on the lookout for illegal drug activity. This includes illegal possession, distribution, and trafficking of marijuana. In the state of California, where medical marijuana has been legalized, illegal grow operations, the black market, and thousands of recreational users make the state ripe for drug crime investigations and arrests. According to local reports, seven people were arrested in November after authorities confiscated up to 6,000 pounds of marijuana.

The investigation and drug bust occurred on Thanksgiving Day on California’s Central Coast near San Luis Obispo. At approximately 3:30 in the morning, an officer pulled over a van driving along Highway 1 and found between 60 and 90 large bales of marijuana. Officers estimated that the marijuana being transported in the van weighed somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds. Immediately after discovering the drugs during the search, the driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Due to the large amount of marijuana found in the van, authorities contacted narcotics detectives to investigate the source. The team initiated a statewide search to identify the source and other individuals responsible for the cultivation, distribution and trafficking. During the search of the coastline, the narcotics detectives came upon a 35-foot boat containing an abandoned 300 gallons of gasoline on the beach, presumably to transfer the drugs out of the country. In addition to the driver, an additional five men near the area were arrested in connection with the alleged operation.

Maritime smuggling is a serious federal crime and could result in significant jail time. According to detectives in this case, the Santa Barbara and Monterey County law enforcement departments were also on watch to identify and take into custody any individuals who were suspected of smuggling the drugs out of California. While all of the authorities on the coast were on alert, another sheriff’s deputy spotted a white van on Highway 1 in the Big Sur area. An initial search revealed that this van was transporting another 90 bales of marijuana. After discovering the substantial amount of marijuana, law enforcement seized the property and arrested two occupants of the van.

This drug bust took place along the central coast and ultimately resulted in the arrest of seven people, between the ages of 17 and 41. They were taken into custody and charged with conspiracy, importation and transportation of marijuana. The vans and marijuana was taken into custody and a dive team removed the boat and gasoline from the beach. The marijuana was also sent to a crime lab for processing and to be used as evidence in this case.

Though medical marijuana is legal in California, many drug-related activities are still considered criminal offenses and can result in charges and serious penalties. Our Orange County medical marijuana attorneys are abreast of local, state, and federal marijuana laws and can effectively protect your rights. If you or someone you love has been charged with possession, distribution, trafficking, conspiracy, or another drug-related offense, we are prepared to aggressively defend your rights and work to defeat the charges against you.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

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