Raul Cardenas-Solis, Marijuana Cultivation, California 2017

FRESNO, Calif. — A Mexican national has been sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for conspiring to cultivate marijuana on public land, according to U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott.

Raul Cardenas-Solis, 22, a citizen of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Drozd ordered Cardenas to pay $11,195 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service to defray the costs of cleaning up the area damaged by the cultivation operation.

Cardenas pleaded guilty to the charges on March 12, 2018. According to court documents, in July, 2017, law enforcement officers found Cardenas checking water lines at a marijuana cultivation site in the North Meadow Creek area in Tulare County in the Sequoia National Forest. Cardenas resided at the site, which contained 10,488 marijuana plants.

The cultivation operation caused extensive damage to the land and natural resources as a result of deforestation, pesticide and fertilizer use, the diversion of natural water sources, and trash dumped at the site.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.

Cardenas’ sentence is a stark reminder of the consequences of marijuana cultivation on public land. The U.S. Forest Service works tirelessly to protect the nation’s forests and natural resources, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold those responsible for such crimes accountable.

The U.S. Forest Service would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their hard work and dedication to this case. We are pleased that justice has been served, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to protect the Sequoia National Forest and protect its resources for future generations.

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