Week 2 of Operation Hammer Strike resulted in 23 warrants served, 41 suspects arrested, and 113 greenhouses eradicated.
Operation Hammer Strike, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s name for their current efforts to rid the High Desert communities of San Bernardino from illegal marijuana grows, is in week two of operations. Hammer Strike started at the beginning of September as an additional four Marijuana Enforcement Teams began serving warrants along with the one existing Team.
This week, between September 6, 2021, and September 10, 2021, investigators from the Marijuana Enforcement Team and several Sheriff’s deputies served a total of 23 search warrants in high desert communities, including Hesperia, Phelan, Twentynine Palms, Newberry Springs, and Lucerne Valley. These search warrants were primarily the result of numerous complaints from residents of these rural areas about large outdoor marijuana cultivations.
Eleven of the 23 locations where sheriffs served warrants were in Phelan. Forty-one suspects were arrested from the various locations, with 12 of the suspects from Phelan. Sheriff’s seized 21,002 marijuana plants, 5,628 pounds of processed marijuana, nine guns, over $9000 in cash, 6.2 ounces of psilocybin mushrooms, 1.7 ounces of cocaine, a stolen motorcycle, three stolen RV trailers, and a stolen trailer-mounted generator. According to the Sheriff’s Department, one electrical bypass and one THC extraction lab were mitigated, and 113 greenhouses were found at these locations.
The locations and suspects arrested at those locations are listed below:
- #1: 5800 Block of Coyote Road, Phelan
- #2 – 4600 Block of Rancho Road, Phelan
- Baez Iribe, a 25-year-old male resident of Phelan
- #3 – Parcel with no address, Phelan
- Martiniano Madrigal, 37 year old male resident of Phelan
- #4 – 13800 Block of Schlitz Road, Phelan
- Jose Saellan, 34-year-old male resident of Phelan
- #5 – Parcel with no address, Phelan
- #6 – Parcel with no address, Twentynine Palms
- #7 – 71200 Block of Indian Trail, Twentynine Palms
- #8 – Parcel with no address, Twentynine Palms
- #9 – 30300 Block of Clark, Lucerne Valley
- Leonardo Flores-Correa, 30-year-old male resident of Buena Park
- #10 – 131090 Block of Evergreen Road, Phelan
- Christian Rojas, 27-year-old male resident of Phelan
- Dawn Thompson, a 50-year-old female resident of Phelan
- #11 – Parcel with no address, Phelan
- Maximo Aguirre, 39 year old male resident of Phelan
- #12 – 6400 Block of Bonanza Road, Phelan
- Michael Jamshidi, 30-year-old male resident of Phoenix, AZ.
- #13 – 6300 Block of Bonanza Road, Phelan
- Janarawa Jonnada, 72-year-old male resident of Phelan
- Rebecca Valtierra, a 63-year-old female resident of Phelan
- Frankie Villareal, a 30-year-old male resident of Phelan
- #14 – 12800 Block of Hacienda Road, Phelan
- Jaime Franco, 26-year-old male resident of Phelan
- Edgar Franco, 25-year-old male resident of Phelan
- Ricardo Rodriguez, a 30-year-old male resident of Phelan
- #15 – Parcel with no address, Phelan
- #16 – 13200 Block of Highway 138, Hesperia
- #17 – 16900 Block of Mission, Hesperia
- Noah Facio, 32-year-old male resident of Hesperia
- James Bass, 64-year-old male resident of Hesperia
- #18 – 11500 Block of Calcite, Hesperia
- Ivan Acosta, 52 year old male resident of Hesperia
- Jhovanna Torressapiens, 28 year old female resident of Hesperia
- #19 – 48300 Block of Palo Verde Road, Newberry Springs
- #20 – 45900 Block of Cisco Road, Newberry Springs
- Juan Luis Muro, 39-year-old male resident of Sacramento
- Beby De Jesus-Nava, a 35-year-old female resident of Sacramento
- Raul Madrid, 54-year-old male resident of Sacramento
- Olga Figuero, a 57-year-old female resident of Sacramento
- Zarco Alvaro, a 23-year-old male resident of Sacramento
- Eloy Madrid, a 35-year-old male resident of Sacramento
- Maximilliano Madrid, 40-year-old male resident of Sacramento
- #21 – 3300 Mountain View Road, Newberry Springs
- Levangkham Douangnaly, a 76-year-old female resident of Newberry Springs
- Chantaly Sithirath, a 65-year-old female resident of Newberry Springs
- Dino Souliya, 50-year-old male resident of Newberry Springs
- Southed Sonekiao, 50-year-old male resident of Newberry Springs
- Tida Souliya, a 42-year-old female resident of Newberry Springs
- Khammenh Sithirath, 69-year-old male resident of Newberry Springs
- #22 – 45300 Block of Whetrock Road, Newberry Springs
- Stephen Thomas, 67-year-old male resident of Newberry Springs
- #23 – 18100 Block of Fern Drive, Lucerne Valley
- Zhangtan Linfeng, 26-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
- Zen Yong, 25-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
- Qiang Jie, 22-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
- Ye Yejinhu, 27-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
- Xin Lin, 22-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
- Sam Liu, 28-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
- Zao Shefeng, 48-year-old male resident of Lucerne Valley
It was determined that the cannabis cultivation was not in compliance with California’s Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) and San Bernardino County’s ordinance prohibiting Commercial Cannabis Activity. San Bernardino County has a law prohibiting Commercial Cannabis Activity, which includes growing marijuana plants outdoors.
The Sheriff’s Gangs/Narcotics Division will continue to enforce California’s cannabis laws and San Bernardino County’s cannabis cultivation and distribution ordinance. Persons found guilty of violating the state law and county ordinance are subject to fines, prosecution, and seizure of property.
Property owners who are growing marijuana or are aware their tenants are growing marijuana on their properties violate the state law and local ordinances; they may also be subject to civil or criminal sanctions. Property owners are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement or code compliance agency to confirm if cultivating cannabis is prohibited or allowed under specific regulations.
To report possible illegal marijuana grows or activities, call the CalCannabis tip line at 1-833-933-3847 (1-833-WEED-TIP) and the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463 (1-800-78-CRIME) or leave information at www.wetip.com.
Additionally, call the Sheriff’s Gangs/Narcotics Division at 1-909-387-8400 or email NARC-MET@sbcsd.org and let the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors know by emailing the San Bernardino County Clerk of the Board at COB@sbcounty.gov. Residents can also speak to the supervisors during their board meetings. This can be done in person or virtually at one of the county’s several government centers. Visit sbcounty.gov/main/pages/BOS for more information.
Residents can also report suspected violations to Code Enforcement via their website at sbcountylus.force.com/lus/servicetypes.
Report any suspicious water activity to the Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District at 760-868-1212 or Visit www.pphcsd.org for more information.
