GREENFIELD — Greenfield Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) conducted a search warrant June 10 at the residence of a known gang member involved in sales of illegal narcotics in the 1200 block of Greenleaf Loop in Greenfield.
The search warrant resulted in the discovery of an illegal clandestine narcotics lab that manufactured butane hash oil inside of the residence where infants live.
“This illegal operation was extremely dangerous to both the occupants of the residence and adjacent homes in the neighborhood, with the very real potential of fires and explosions due to the flammable chemical processes,” Greenfield Police said in a news release.
Along with this illegal lab, more than 82 pounds of marijuana, 200 grams of marijuana wax, vacuum pumps, ovens and over 1,000 items for packaging were recovered.
“The illegal lab was used to extract marijuana concentrate (THC) in a highly explosive manner through the use of butane — a highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gas that quickly vaporizes,” police explained. “THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the ‘high’ sensation. Once extracted, THC can be consumed by adding it to foods and drinks.”
The THC extracted was being packaged in small round 1-gram containers for sales and distribution.
Three adults were arrested — Anthony Arredondo, Fernando Najera Lopez and Jorge Barrera — and two replica guns were recovered.
Greenfield Police requested that the Monterey County District Attorney file the additional charges of child endangerment to the mother for exposing the infants to the extreme dangers of this drug laboratory.
