Fidel Sanchez-Cruz, Marijuana Grow Conspiracy, California 2023

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A notorious marijuana grow operation in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest has been dismantled, and its leader is facing the music. Fidel Sanchez-Cruz, 42, of Mexico, was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison for conspiracy to grow marijuana in the National Forest and depredation of public lands and resources.

According to court documents, Sanchez-Cruz was the mastermind behind the operation, which was located near Highway 36 in Trinity County. He oversaw the grow from a distance, making brief visits to inspect the crop and provide instructions to his co-defendants, Abraham De Los Santos-Sanchez and Agustin Cruz-Sanchez.

The operation was eventually raided in August 2018, and law enforcement officers eradicated 6,575 marijuana plants, a marijuana processing area, and harvested marijuana. A .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun with an obliterated serial number, pellet rifles, a loaded Smith & Wesson magazine, and a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson ammunition cartridge were also found at the site.

But that's not all - the environmental damage caused by the grow operation was extensive. The Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems, examined the site and found evidence of hazardous waste, including carbofuran, a toxic pesticide banned in the United States. The assessment concluded that the pesticide and other chemicals posed a significant risk to endangered species, including the northern spotted owl, the foothill-yellow-legged frog, and coho salmon.

Sanchez-Cruz's residence in Corning was also searched, and law enforcement found cocaine, marijuana, a digital scale, packaging materials, and a Winchester 20-gauge shotgun. This case was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and local law enforcement agencies.

Santos-Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Cruz-Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and depredation of public lands and resources and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Sanchez-Cruz was ordered to pay $19,354 in restitution to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/leader-marijuana-grow-shasta-trinity-national-forest-sentenced-over-11-years-prison