A three‑day collaborative drug enforcement operation culminated in the seizure of more than 110,000 illegal marijuana plants and over 81,000 pounds of bulk marijuana with an estimated value of $20 million.

Investigators from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Interagency Task Force, supported by the Clackamas County Public Safety Levy, and the Oregon State Police Drug Enforcement Section completed a three‑day operation to disrupt and dismantle a suspected drug trafficking organization responsible for several illegal marijuana grows in Clackamas and Marion counties.

In response to community complaints, the Clackamas County task force and OSP launched separate investigations that led detectives to uncover several additional illegal marijuana grows. Over the course of the investigations, detectives determined they were investigating the same suspects. They joined forces, ultimately serving search warrants at six locations across Clackamas and Marion counties.

During the service of search warrants, officers located and destroyed 110,437 illegal marijuana plants and 81,460 pounds of bulk marijuana. In addition, 86 firearms and $11,500 in U.S. currency were seized. Jaimee Virrueta‑Gomez, 35, from Gerber, California, was arrested on charges of Unlawful Manufacture of a Marijuana Item and Unlawful Possession of a Marijuana Item. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges will be referred to both the Marion and Clackamas County District Attorney’s Offices.

Responding officers found individuals living and working in dangerous conditions without adequate shelter, running water, plumbing, or electricity. Investigators are working to determine whether the workers came to the site through force, fraud, or coercion.

Law enforcement agencies requested on‑scene crisis response and victim support at multiple locations in both counties. Service providers included Safety Compass, the Anti‑Trafficking Project (AT:Project), a program of J Bar J, and the Cannabis Workers Resilience Partnership.

Victim advocates and service providers offered crisis intervention, safety planning, basic necessities such as food and water, emergency transportation to safety, and connections to emergency shelter and housing. Legal services referrals were also available. Safety Compass provided confidential advocacy at every location.

During this multi‑day operation, 55 workers were offered services and continued follow‑up support.

Several county and state agencies assisted in the investigation of environmental crimes related to water use, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, and unlawful solid waste disposal.

Additional assisting agencies included the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Marion County District Attorney’s Office, the Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) team, the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) team, the Douglas County Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT), the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE), Port of Portland Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Interagency Task Force and the OSP Domestic Highway Enforcement team are multi‑jurisdictional narcotics task forces that identify, disrupt, and dismantle local, multi‑state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence‑driven, multi‑agency, prosecutor‑supported approach.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Interagency Task Force includes members from the Canby Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Oregon National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. The task force is supported by the Clackamas County Public Safety Levy.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Interagency Task Force and OSP’s Drug Enforcement Section are supported by the Oregon‑Idaho High‑Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Oregon‑Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi‑agency drug enforcement initiatives throughout the state.

Safety Compass, the Cannabis Workers Resilience Partnership, and the Anti‑Trafficking Project are funded in part by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Grant Program.

Source: Oregon State Police

Bill Handel