DINT ERADICATES NEARLY 8,800 MARIJUANA PLANTS, MAKES FOUR ARRESTS

June 18, 2022 8:30 a.m.

In the past week, detectives with the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team have addressed several illegal marijuana sites in the county, eradicated nearly 8,800 marijuana plants and made several arrests.

DINT Commander Lieutenant Rick McArthur said marijuana was found at two sites on Raleigh Drive, outside of Winston. The first, in the 600 block, had 3,832 plants which were seized from 18 greenhouses. McArthur said several other items indicating criminal activity were seized as well. 25-year old Jesus Manuel Martinez-Munguia and 42-year old Ezequiel Martinez-Garcia were arrested on drug charges Tuesday, but were released on Wednesday.

McArthur said the second site, in the 500 block, had another illegal grow operation consisting of approximately 1,330 marijuana plants. In this case, detectives arrested the property owner, 43-year old Jackie Willis. He was jailed for unlawful manufacture of marijuana and for a probation violation on Tuesday but was released later in the day.

Detectives located another illegal marijuana growing operation in the 1600 block of Weaver Road near Myrtle Creek. In this case, 757 marijuana plants were discovered, along with 311 pounds of processed marijuana. McArthur said detectives discovered the suspects had been diverting large amounts of water from adjacent Bureau of Land Management property. They found an area on the BLM land where a creek had been impounded to collect water. That water was run a great distance through pipes to the growing operation. McArthur said detectives also seized a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle from the residence. A check of the serial number revealed that the weapon had been stolen out of San Joaquin County, California. 35-year old Arturo Perez-Aguilar was charged with unlawful possession and manufacture of marijuana and a first-degree charge of theft of services. After arraignment, he was detained without bail.

McArthur said detectives eradicated approximately 1,765 illegal plants from a location in the 1200 block of North Old Pacific Highway in Myrtle Creek.

At a residence in the 700 block of Buckhorn Road near Roseburg, detectives located and eradicated 1,103 illegal marijuana plants, as well.

McArthur said in many of these cases, the investigation is continuing and more arrests are anticipated.