U.S. Rep. James Gallagher, R‑Calif., wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday demanding a federal investigation into the massive illegal marijuana cultivation network operating in Siskiyou County. Gallagher’s letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, highlights the environmental and public‑safety threats posed by the unregulated farms.
Local impact of the illegal grows
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has documented extensive illegal cultivation, often using makeshift plastic‑covered greenhouses, or “hoop houses,” that draw groundwater from nearby wells. The sheriff’s department reported eradicating 332,871 illegal plants and seizing 54,070 pounds of processed marijuana in 2025 alone.
Gallagher warned that these operations have devastated local ranchers, depleted groundwater supplies, and introduced highly toxic pesticides—some banned in the United States and bearing Chinese‑language labels—into the environment. County officials have identified at least 27 pesticide compounds at the sites, raising concerns for residents, law‑enforcement officers, and first responders.
Suspected foreign financing
The congressman also raised the possibility that Chinese organized‑crime networks are financing or directing some of the farms. He cited a 2018 federal investigation that uncovered a California grow operation funded with money from China, which led to forfeiture actions involving more than 100 properties in the Sacramento area.
“In Siskiyou County, investigators have traced cultivation properties to individuals residing outside the county, while those managing the grows often have no apparent ownership interest,” Gallagher wrote. “These arrangements raise serious concerns about who is actually financing and controlling these operations and whether the ownership arrangements are intended to conceal their involvement.”
Call for federal action
Gallagher’s request urges the FBI to target the illicit network, protect water resources, and prevent the spread of dangerous chemicals. He noted that illegal cultivation has also expanded onto federal lands, including the Shasta‑Trinity National Forest, and that the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision alone may host as many as 7,000 illegal growers.
The letter underscores the need for coordinated law‑enforcement action to safeguard the livelihoods of local farmers, preserve vital water supplies, and curb any foreign influence in the illegal drug trade.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
