Mexican Cartel Activity Suspected in Largest Drug Bust in Los Angeles' Sheriff Department's History

After officials destroyed 70 to 80 outhouses filled with illegal marijuana plots allegedly set up by Mexican cartels, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday.

Mexican Greenhouse Operation

The outhouses were tracked down by officials and found in the open desert located north of Los Angeles in Antelope Valley, CA.

It is a collaborative operation of the LA Sheriff's Department and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to take down multiple illegal marijuana grows.

According to Fox News, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department brought in massive bulldozers to raid the crime scene. They have completely destroyed the illegal grows, but based on the report, they have hundreds more to tackle.

Based on the initial appraisal, one tented location alone covers around $50 million worth of illegal marijuana.

Moreover, Sheriff Alex Villanueva has since launched an operation with up to 400 deputies and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to hunt down and destroy other marijuana plantations, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported.

In addition, Villanueva made a revelation that these locations are hot spots for criminal behavior. Prior to the operation, they have received reports of cartel members threatening residents with firearms. The L.A. plantations also affect local crops as they hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers.

Sheriff Villanueva emphasized that their days in the area were over, sending a loud and clear message to all the cartels attempting to operate in the area. He also added that they will hunt down other cartels who were involved in the same operation.

Furthermore, Villanueva mentioned that the origins of the sheriff's department date back to 1850 when the place was still the Wild West and they just introduce law and order back in those days. The sheriff also mentioned that they were doing the same concept to drive the criminals out of business and give back the place to the residents of the community.

Meanwhile, five men were arrested at the scene of the raid who identified themselves as Mexican nationals who just arrived in the U.S. within the last month. They were taken into the custody of the sheriff's department.

Last year, LA Sheriff's Narcotic Bureau Detectives identified 150 illegal marijuana cultivations during a flight reconnaissance. However, only after a year, the number increased to over 500.

Also, the cultivations grew in size as well. The previous average size per grow was eight greenhouses, and now the average is 15. But during the operation, they have discovered a 75 greenhouse grow that covered 10 acres of ground

Violent crime is also directly linked to illegal cultivations by LA Sheriff's Department. They also mentioned that armed cartel members were stealing water in the middle of the night from farmers and residents and it has become a common sight for locals.

So far, the operations from the greenhouses involve 23 arrests, 5 firearms, 2 water trucks were recovered, and marijuana worth millions of dollars was also recovered.

On the other hand, during the operation, seven mixed breed dogs including four puppies were recovered by LASD personnel. The animals are now under the care of Reversed Rescue, which is a non-profit dog rescue organization in California.

WATCH: 74 Tons Of Marijuana Seized, Greenhouses Bulldozed In Largest Illegal Grow Bust In LA County History -from
KHTS News / Features