Juan Carlos Lopez, Marijuana Cultivation, California 2017

Fresno, CA – May 24, 2017

Three men, Juan Carlos Lopez, Rafael Torres-Armenta, and Javier Garcia-Castaneda, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana in a large-scale operation on public land in the Sequoia National Forest.

According to court documents, the men conspired with co-defendant Carlos Piedra-Murillo to cultivate marijuana at a prehistoric Tübatulabal Native American archaeological site in the Domeland Wilderness area. The site is located about 55 miles northeast of Bakersfield.

Law enforcement officers eradicated over 8,000 marijuana plants from the site and seized 17 pounds of processed marijuana, a .22-caliber rifle, a pellet rifle, and numerous rounds of .22-caliber ammunition. Piedra-Murillo pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge last month.

The marijuana cultivation operation caused extensive environmental damage to about 10 acres of public land. Water was diverted from a tributary stream of Trout Creek, and fertilizer and pesticides, including illegal zinc phosphide from Mexico, were found at the site. Large piles of trash were also found near the campsite.

The northernmost area of the operation caused extensive damage to a large prehistoric Tübatulabal archaeological site. Holes were dug in the middle of the site, and artifacts were found scattered on the surface among the marijuana plants.

Lopez, Torres-Armenta, and Garcia-Castaneda are scheduled for sentencing on June 26, 2017. Lopez faces a mandatory prison sentence of five years and a maximum term of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Torres-Armenta and Garcia-Castaneda face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

After their prison sentences are completed, Lopez, Torres-Armenta, and Garcia-Castaneda are subject to deportation to Mexico.

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