Photos: SCSO

Shasta County Sheriff’s Office press release: 

On Tuesday March 29th, 2016 Agents with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Investigative Team (SMIT), California Department of Fish and Wildlife Watershed Enforcement Team and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marijuana Enforcement Team served a Shasta County Superior Court Search Warrant at a rural piece of property off Ishi Rd. which is located within the Trinity Alps Preserve west of Igo, CA. Also assisting were members of the Central Valley Water Board who were on scene conducting a separate investigation on potential environmental damages.

As a result of the investigation, two Hispanic male adults were located and subsequently arrested at a large outdoor marijuana cultivation site located in a canyon on the property. The males were identified as Enrique Nunez, 19 years old from Stockton, CA and Sergio Becerril-Molina, 29 years old from San Jose, CA. Agents subsequently eradicated 10,942 growing marijuana plants from the marijuana cultivation cite and seized approximately 8 grams of suspected methamphetamine from inside a trailer that was found on the property. During the course of the investigation, agents found evidence that a substance known as “Qufuran” or “Carbofuran” was being used to treat the marijuana plants. This substance is a highly toxic insecticide that has been banned in the United States.

Both Nunez and Becerril-Molina were subsequently arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail for 11358 H&S- Marijuana Cultivation, 11359 H&S-Possession of Marijuana for sale, 182 PC-Conspiracy, 11377 H&S- Possession of a Controlled Substance and 1502a F&G- Water diversion.