2 County Narcotics Units, Forest Service Bust 3 Grow Sites

Narcotics units from San Luis Obispo and Kern counties teamed up with U.S. Forest Service agents on Monday to arrest four suspects responsible for three marijuana grow sites.

According to the sheriff’s department, the team conducted a two-month investigation into a large marijuana cultivation operation. Investigators say three different grow sites were located on Los Padres Forest land south of Santa Margarita Lake Road.

Investigators confiscated 5,031 marijuana plants. Detectives said they had to reach the grow site by helicopter and the helicopter was also used to make 14 trips to remove a large amount of trash.

As a result of that investigation, officers served a search warrant at a home in the 2400 block of Monterey Street in Bakersfield. Evidence there led to service of a second search warrant at a home in the 4900 block of Filmore Avenue in Bakersfield.

Agents said they arrested four suspects and seized seven pounds of marijuana and six pounds of marijuana seeds. All four suspects have immigration holds. The investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected according to the sheriff’s department.

The four arrested were Jose Luis Villa-Carmino, 28, of Bakersfield, Rafael Deniz-Lopez, 26, of San Bernardino, Pablo Ramirez-Ayala, 27, of Bakersfield and Jose Herrera-Aguilera, 30, also of Bakersfield.