FBI urged to crack down on illegal pot grows & foreign crime networks in Shasta/Siskiyou Counties

[#item_full_content] REDDING, Calif. – Congressman James Gallagher is asking the FBI to investigate transnational criminal organizations running thousands of illegal marijuana grows across Siskiyou and Shasta Counties. In a letter sent to FBI Director Kash Patel, Gallagher called for a coordinated federal investigation involving local sheriffs, Homeland Security Investigations, and EPA Region 9 to dismantle the sprawling illicit industry overtaking parts of rural Northern California.Illegal marijuana cultivation has rapidly expanded across rural Northern California as entire properties are now covered with rows of makeshift, plastic-covered “hoop houses.” Residents have faced depleted water supplies, threats to their safety and contamination risks to agricultural land.A 2022 Siskiyou County Civil Grand Jury report estimated 5,000 large-scale illegal cultivation sites. More recent reporting suggests up to 7,000 illegal growers in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision alone, potentially producing up to $2 billion annually.”We can’t stand idly by as these criminals poison our water, destroy our land, and threaten the safety of rural families,” Gallagher said. “These illegal marijuana grows are run by transnational criminal organizations, some with suspected foreign financing, and they have no place in Northern California. The FBI must act now to support our sheriffs and bring these networks to justice.”Illegal cultivation has also been documented on federal land, including the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office reported eradicating more than 332,000 illegal marijuana plants and seizing over 54,000 pounds of processed marijuana in 2025 alone.Gallagher’s letter raises concerns that Chinese organized-crime networks may be financing and directing portions of these operations. Investigators have identified cultivation properties owned by people outside the county, while on-site managers often have no ownership interest. A 2018 federal investigation in the Sacramento region revealed an organized marijuana trafficking network funded by wire transfers from China’s Fujian Province and supported by straw purchasers, resulting in civil forfeiture actions against more than 100 properties.  You can read the full letter Rep. Gallagher sent to FBI Director Patel here.Compounding the threat is the widespread use of highly toxic, foreign-manufactured pesticides, including chemicals banned in the United States and products bearing Chinese-language labels suspected of being illegally imported. Siskiyou County investigators have identified more than 27 pesticides at illegal grow sites, some of which release toxic fumes when burned inside enclosed structures.The crisis prompted the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors to declare a local state of emergency on July 1, 2025. EPA Region 9 issued a directive to investigate illegal pesticide importation and distribution.Gallagher’s letter requests the FBI direct the Sacramento Field Office and Redding Resident Agency to work with Siskiyou and Shasta County Sheriffs and Homeland Security Investigations to pursue coordinated investigations. He also asked the FBI to coordinate with EPA Region 9 on ongoing investigations into illegal pesticides and brief Congress on current FBI efforts in Northern California.”The State of California has repeatedly turned a blind eye to the billion-dollar black market marijuana industry that has wreaked havoc on both Siskiyou County and across California,” Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said. “From weak legislation that all but greenlights illegal cultivation, to ignoring the environmental devastation and labor trafficking caused by these illicit industrial-scale operations, it is clear the State is unwilling to adequately combat this criminal enterprise.”LaRue said his agency has made over 800 arrests and eradicated over 2 million contaminated marijuana plants over the last 5 years. He said without broader support from state or federal agencies, the destructive industry can continue to spread with impunity across America.”This is why the involvement of federal agencies, including the FBI and EPA is urgently needed to disrupt the transnational criminal networks supporting these illicit operations across the United States,” LaRue said. “I commend Congressman Gallagher for elevating the issue of illegal marijuana cultivation and advocating for a stronger response to a crisis that continues to threaten California’s communities, natural resources, and public safety.”Shasta County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson said his county stands with Siskiyou County in sending a clear message that illegal marijuana operations and the criminal enterprises that fund them are not welcome. Johnson said he looks forward to collaborating with the FBI to ensure private property rights are enforced and natural resources in Northern California are safeguarded.  Read More