California Cities Facing Cartel-Style Illegal Growers in Neighborhoods | David Welch | Jake Fisher

“We’ve seen people take over homes and warehouses to cultivate marijuana,” says David Welch, a special counsel for local narcotic enforcement. “People probably wouldn’t know the difference; it looks like a residential house. This is a very, very high level of sophisticated organized networks. It’s dangerous in the sense that it’s really a threat. These operations are worth a lot of money. They will do what’s necessary to protect their assets.”

Siyamak sits down with Mr. Welch, who serves to combat illegal cannabis grows in cities across Los Angeles County, and also El Monte Police Chief Jake Fisher, who will tell us how illegal grows operate and how they impact surrounding communities through increased crime, pollution, and safety hazards.

“The County of Los Angeles is overwhelmed,” Mr. Fisher says. “We’ve seen situations where we have people that are undocumented who seem like they’re forced to work in these homes. We’ve seen a lot of involvement of foreign nationals, individuals that are tied to transnational criminal organizations. The victims are not only the people who are being trafficked but also sometimes the people that own the property and are being lied to and used to facilitate this illegal activity.”

Views expressed are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

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