Butte County ranked among the hardest-hit areas in California’s latest crackdown on illegal cannabis operations, as state officials announced the seizure of more than 63,000 pounds of illicit cannabis during a three-month enforcement effort.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the state’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force carried out coordinated operations between April and June 2026 across 10 counties, targeting illegal cultivation and distribution tied to organized crime, environmental damage, hazardous pesticides, illegal firearms, and labor exploitation.
Butte County was third in the state for enforcement activity during the quarter. Officers seized nearly 13,500 illegal cannabis plants and about 6,748 pounds of processed cannabis with an estimated value of $11.1 million. Authorities also recovered two firearms, documented numerous environmental violations, uncovered evidence of organized criminal activity, and made two arrests.
Statewide, the task force destroyed 63,204 pounds of illegal cannabis, eradicated more than 89,000 cannabis plants, confiscated 17 firearms, made 24 arrests, and seized more than $220,000 in cash. Officials estimated the cannabis seized during the quarter had a value exceeding $104 million.
The largest operation took place across Kern, Tulare, and Los Angeles counties, where investigators served 26 search warrants and found numerous cultivation sites containing banned or unregistered pesticides that officials said pose risks to wildlife, water quality, and public health.
Since the task force was established in 2022, California officials say it has seized and destroyed more than 841,000 pounds of illicit cannabis, eradicated more than 1.3 million plants, served more than 750 search warrants across 29 counties, and seized more than 250 firearms.
Image provided by the Governor’s Office from the inside of an illicit indoor cultivation site taken during a UCETF operation in Riverside County in April
