Dozens of individuals, believed to have been smuggled into the United States, were discovered working in “horrible” conditions at an illegal marijuana plant near the city of Merced in California’s Central Valley.
The Merced County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on Wednesday afternoon and unearthed the operation. Images posted by the Sheriff’s Office revealed that the facility was packed with trays, bags, and boxes filled with what appeared to be marijuana.
According to Sheriff Vern Warnke, the operation housed “thousands of pounds of finished marijuana from an illegal grow and illegal source.” Sixty people, including one juvenile, were found working at the site. The juvenile was seen by child welfare authorities and released to a parent.
The workers were promised a good-paying job and accommodation but were forced to process marijuana in poor living conditions to repay the individuals who had allegedly brought them across the border. The authorities did not disclose the workers’ countries of origin.
Along with the workers, three goats and two dogs in inadequate care were also rescued from the property. While no arrests have been made yet, investigators are determined to locate the individuals responsible for the operation. The discovery of this operation underscores the urgent need to combat both the illegal drug trade and human trafficking, which often intersect in such operations.