Congressman calls for federal investigation into criminal networks and toxic pesticides in Siskiyou and Shasta counties.
AT A GLANCE
Federal Request: Congressman James Gallagher asks the FBI to investigate criminal networks behind illegal marijuana cultivation in Northern California.
Counties: Siskiyou and Shasta
2025 Enforcement: More than 332,000 marijuana plants eradicated and 54,000 pounds of processed marijuana seized in Siskiyou County
Sheriff's Report: More than 800 arrests and 2 million marijuana plants eradicated over five years
Environmental Concerns: Illegal pesticides, groundwater contamination risks, and hazardous cultivation sites
Federal Involvement: EPA investigation initiated in July 2025; additional FBI coordination requested
Status: No new FBI investigation announced in the supplied materials
Congressman James Gallagher: "We can't stand idly by as these criminals poison our water, destroy our land, and threaten the safety of rural families. The FBI must act now to support our sheriffs and bring these networks to justice," Gallagher said in his call for federal action against illegal marijuana grows in Northern California. Official congressional portrait.
Updated Oct. 21, 2026, 6:05 p.m.
SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. — Congressman James Gallagher is calling for a coordinated federal investigation into illegal marijuana operations across Siskiyou and Shasta counties, seeking FBI assistance to identify the criminal organizations financing large-scale cultivation and determine whether some operations are connected to international networks.
In an October 19 letter (below) to FBI Director Kash Patel, Gallagher requested cooperation among federal investigators, local sheriff's offices, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Environmental Protection Agency to address illegal cultivation and the use of hazardous pesticides in Northern California.
The request comes as Siskiyou County continues a yearslong effort to dismantle illegal cultivation operations that local officials say have threatened water supplies, contaminated land, and placed residents and law enforcement personnel at risk.
"We can't stand idly by as these criminals poison our water, destroy our land, and threaten the safety of rural families," Gallagher said in a statement accompanying the letter. "The FBI must act now to support our sheriffs and bring these networks to justice."
Illegal Marijuana Grow Investigation: An investigator wearing protective clothing documents evidence at an illegal marijuana cultivation site in Siskiyou County. Hazardous pesticides discovered at grow sites have become a major concern for local authorities and are part of Congressman James Gallagher's request for additional federal investigative assistance. Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office.
Years of Enforcement Have Not Ended Illegal Cultivation
Illegal marijuana cultivation has remained a persistent problem in rural Siskiyou County, particularly in areas such as Mount Shasta Vista, where large numbers of greenhouse-style structures have been used for unauthorized growing operations.
A 2022 Siskiyou County Civil Grand Jury report estimated approximately 5,000 large-scale illegal cultivation sites throughout the county.
The scale of the continuing enforcement effort was documented in a June 16 Jefferson Daily News report, “Siskiyou County Continues Crackdown on Illegal Marijuana Grows.” The report detailed a June 4 operation in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision that resulted in the eradication of 903 marijuana plants and the seizure of 90 pounds of processed marijuana.
“For too long, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has stood alone in the effort to end illegal marijuana cultivation and the proliferation of highly toxic pesticides in our County.”
The same report outlined the North State Marijuana Investigation Team's 2025 enforcement activity, which included the eradication of 332,871 illegal marijuana plants, the seizure of 54,070 pounds of processed marijuana, 118 arrests, and 34 firearms recovered.
Sheriff's officials also reported finding dangerous foreign-labeled pesticides at more than 80 percent of the illegal cultivation sites investigated, underscoring the environmental and public-safety concerns surrounding the operations.
Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said his department has made more than 800 arrests and eradicated more than 2 million marijuana plants over the past five years, but local enforcement alone has not eliminated the industry.
"For too long, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office has stood alone in the effort to end illegal marijuana cultivation and the proliferation of highly toxic pesticides in our County," LaRue said.
The sheriff criticized California's approach to illegal cultivation and called for greater cooperation with federal authorities.
"This is why the involvement of federal agencies, including the FBI and EPA is urgently needed to disrupt the transnational criminal networks supporting these illicit operations across the United States," LaRue said.
Shasta County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson also supported the request, saying his department looks forward to working with federal investigators to protect private property and natural resources.
Cover Image: Siskiyou County Marijuana Enforcement: A Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle sits near greenhouse structures associated with an illegal marijuana cultivation site. Congressman James Gallagher is calling for greater FBI involvement in investigating the criminal networks behind illegal grows in Siskiyou and Shasta counties. Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office.
Questions About Foreign Financing
A central part of Gallagher's request involves determining who is financing and controlling illegal cultivation operations.
The congressman raised concerns that some properties used for marijuana cultivation are owned by individuals living outside Siskiyou County, while people managing the operations have no apparent ownership interest.
Gallagher cited a 2018 federal investigation in the Sacramento area that uncovered a marijuana trafficking network using money transferred from China's Fujian Province to purchase properties for illegal cultivation. That investigation resulted in civil forfeiture actions involving more than 100 properties.
However, Gallagher acknowledged that investigators have not established a direct connection between those criminal networks and the illegal cultivation operations in Siskiyou County.
His letter asks the FBI to investigate whether similar financing arrangements exist in Northern California and whether the operations are part of a broader criminal enterprise.
Illegal Marijuana Cultivation: Marijuana plants grow inside a greenhouse at an illegal cultivation site in Siskiyou County. Local authorities have spent years working to dismantle large-scale operations, while concerns about toxic pesticides and suspected criminal financing have prompted calls for additional federal assistance. Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office.
Toxic Pesticides Remain a Major Concern
Beyond illegal marijuana production, local officials have raised concerns about dangerous pesticides discovered at cultivation sites.
Siskiyou County investigators have identified more than 27 pesticides associated with illegal grows, including chemicals banned in the United States and products suspected of being illegally imported.
Officials have warned that these substances can endanger first responders, contaminate water supplies, and potentially expose consumers to marijuana products that have not undergone the safety testing required of licensed producers.
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency on July 1, 2025, over the presence and use of illegal pesticides.
Federal environmental authorities have already taken steps to investigate the problem.
On July 17, 2025, EPA Region 9 Administrator Josh Cook announced that he had directed federal environmental law enforcement personnel to investigate the illegal importation, distribution, and use of foreign-manufactured pesticides in Siskiyou County.
Gallagher is now asking the FBI to coordinate with the EPA and other agencies to determine whether pesticide distribution is connected to larger criminal organizations.
Congressman James Gallagher: U.S. Rep. James Gallagher (CA-01) is calling for expanded federal involvement in combating illegal marijuana cultivation in Siskiyou and Shasta counties, including additional investigative resources and funding for local law enforcement. Photo courtesy of Congressman James Gallagher / Facebook.
Federal Coordination and Funding Requested
Gallagher's letter (below) outlines three areas where he wants additional federal involvement.
First, he is asking the FBI's Sacramento Field Office and Redding Resident Agency to work with the Siskiyou and Shasta County sheriff's offices and Homeland Security Investigations to examine the organizations financing and operating illegal cultivation sites.
Second, he wants coordination with the EPA's existing pesticide investigation, including efforts to identify how hazardous chemicals are entering the United States.
Third, Gallagher requested a briefing on the FBI's current efforts in Northern California and an assessment of additional resources or federal funding that could support local marijuana eradication teams.
The congressman also requested coordination with federal immigration authorities where appropriate for individuals involved in illegal operations who may be subject to removal under federal law.
The letter represents a request for expanded federal involvement, not an announcement that the FBI has launched a new investigation.
No FBI response or commitment to additional investigative resources was included in the congressman's announcement.
For Siskiyou and Shasta counties, the request places renewed attention on a problem that local authorities have spent years confronting, with questions about criminal financing and hazardous pesticides extending beyond the cultivation sites themselves.
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