Feds stage huge bust of Southern California marijuana farms

The Drug Enforcement Administration partnered up with members of the National Guard and other federal agencies on Wednesday during a large-scale raid of marijuana grow sites in southern California. The DEA executed warrants on nearly 800 acres of  allegedly illegal growing operations around the town of Thermal in Coachella Valley, the DEA’s Los Angeles office said Wednesday night. DEA footage and news reports from the scene showed swarms of law enforcement officials raiding three large facilities. The DEA received help from the National Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, the Army, and the IRS because of the operation’s scale and unique features, according to the DEA’s Los Angeles office.

Why was ICE involved? At least 70 undocumented migrants were arrested during the raids, and at least one U.S. citizen was arrested for impeding law enforcement, the DEA said. Officials located two people inside a padlocked trailer during one raid, according to the DEA.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in WORLD Magazine about the pros and cons of women using marijuana to ease pregnancy symptoms.