FIRST ON FOX: Representative James Gallagher, a Republican from California, has called on FBI Director Kash Patel to take action against illegal marijuana cultivation in Northern California.
Gallagher’s appeal came after the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office reported extensive illegal growing operations in the area, involving unauthorized immigrant labor. He expressed that these activities have negatively impacted local ranchers, drained groundwater sources, and raised alarms about possible links to Chinese organized crime.
In a letter, he stated that “entire rural properties are now covered with rows of makeshift, plastic-covered greenhouses, known as ‘hoop houses,’ where marijuana is cultivated using groundwater hauled in from nearby wells.”
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Gallagher continued, explaining that the fallout has been severe, with residents facing dwindling water supplies and safety concerns. Additionally, local farmers are grappling with increased competition for water and risks of contaminating their land.
He mentioned that estimates indicate there could be as many as 7,000 illegal growers in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision alone, with cultivation even spreading to federal lands like the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
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In 2025, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office reported destroying 332,871 illegal marijuana plants and confiscating 54,070 pounds of processed marijuana.
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Gallagher raised concerns over possible financing and direction of these illegal operations by Chinese crime networks. He noted that some properties linked to these grows are managed by individuals with no clear ownership interest, which raises questions about who is actually behind these activities.
The congressman referenced a 2018 federal investigation into an illegal marijuana grow operation in California that authorities linked to funding from China, which resulted in forfeiture actions against over 100 properties in the Sacramento area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
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Gallagher also pointed to environmental degradation from these illegal sites, particularly with the use of harmful pesticides. He mentioned, “Compounding these concerns is the widespread use of highly toxic pesticides, including chemicals banned in the United States and products bearing Chinese-language labels that are suspected of being illegally imported.”
According to county findings, Siskiyou County investigators have discovered at least 27 different pesticide compounds at these illegal grow sites, which pose potential risks to residents, law enforcement, and first responders.
