The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) raided two homes in East Contra Costa County, owned by a Chinese national, discovering a sophisticated grow operation. This raid is part of a larger trend of Chinese crime syndicates taking over the illegal marijuana market in California, previously dominated by Mexican cartels.
Wednesday morning in East Contra Costa County, state agents made the latest in a series of cannabis grow-house raids across the region.Earlier this year, the Department of Cannabis Control shared video from some busts in Antioch, which they say is home to more illegal pot grows than anywhere else in California outside Los Angeles. Just last month in Fairfield, a group of agencies announced they seized more than 8,000 plants over the course of several months from eight properties.
The Wednesday raid was on two homes-- one in Discovery Bay and one in Brentwood -- that are owned by the same person.The Department of Cannabis Control said they have one thing in common with the other grow houses they've raided recently: they're all owned by Chinese nationals.'Police! Search Warrant! Demand entry!' agents shouted as the pounded on the door of a Discovery Bay home early Wednesday morning.'The houses that are being used are being used because it's small town America. No body suspects it would be happening here,' said Kevin McInerney with DCC, who works on enforcement.Investigators say the homeowner, his wife and his three young children lived in one half of the house. The other half was built out with a sophisticated grow operation where almost 400 plants were spread throughout various rooms with grow lights, fans and a massive drip system.DCC investigators say the common thread in all of these cases is that the cultivation is linked to Chinese crime syndicates, who have basically taken over the illegal marijuana market in California -- something that was once controlled by the Mexican cartels.'There was a shift from public land grows mostly run by the cartels to much more residential grows,' said McInerney.DCC agents say the owner of the house raided in Discovery Bay Wednesday morning is Chinese and also owned another house in Brentwood. That was the team's next stop.'Police! Search Warrant! Demand entry!' the agents shouted once agai
Cannabis Grow Houses Chinese Crime Syndicates Illegal Marijuana California
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