Drug Cartels Now In Control of Northern California (Los Angeles, San Diego: crime, how much)

[cb73]

The Mexican cartels have been growing in the federal forests in northern California for years. Everyone knows about it. No one even considers doing anything about it.

When we were having the horrible drought, their water usage was brought up. It was pointed out that "the almond trees use more water." When hikers have stumbled on a grow--I remember a father and son being shot some years ago--it was "they should have known to stay out." The toxic waste? Silence.

The Feds are not the least bit interested in dealing with this, and since most of the grows are on Federal land, California doesn't have the authority. I'm sure some are also on State land, but I doubt that California would care.

And I agree--Mexican cartels, yes. Russian? No. I don't have a clue about Hmong. Remember some years ago when all those brand new houses had been purchased and converted to marijuana grow operations? A bunch of them from Sacramento to the Bay Area. I thought at the time they were run by Chinese people, but I didn't look into it. I know a Chinese real estate woman was arrested.

[Veritas Vincit]

I thought legalization was supposed to make it uninteresting and unprofitable for criminal gangs to mess with marijuana.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

Culture has lots if not everything to do with this.
Would you think that the Japanese or the Saudi’s might be involved with this?
What about the Germans or Israelis ?

Me I don’t feel the need to be politically correct so my bet is on either Americans that need money or Mexicans that need money.

You need to watch the video. I just did a moment ago. It's very concerning what's going on, and the most concerning is the m.o. of the Hmongs relocating to Siskiyou from Minnesota.

RE: Russians, and "culture": the drug use and trafficking issue in Russia exploded after 1990. I'm not sure what you mean, that drug use, trafficking, possibly even growing/concocting, doesn't fit the cultural profile. And Russia/USSR has a long tradition of underground economy and Black Market activities. Also; corruption of elected leadership and LE. You could even say, that these afore-mentioned things were part of Soviet "culture", resulting from a repressive regime that fostered back-room dealing and underground activity. One could argue about whether Soviet-era work-arounds to a repressive and corrupt system are part of Russian "culture" or rather, a distortion of it, or the result cynicism born of corruption, but the Czarist system had its corrupt elements, too.

In any case, as I pointed out earlier, it boils down to a simple thing: money. Where there's easy money to be made in large quantities, mafias will move in, and that includes the US-based Russian mafias. This is not to deny that Mexican cartels are also involved.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

I thought legalization was supposed to make it uninteresting and unprofitable for criminal gangs to mess with marijuana.

The illegal operations now are so massive, that they marginalize the legal operations.

Although the situation is very different in Humboldt, where "farms" that look like former illegal grow operations have been up for sale and are being bought by people interested in organic farming. RE throughout Humboldt is probably more expensive than Siskiyou, where cheap land (according to the film) is the main draw. And Siskiyou has water scarcity, unlike Humboldt (so far), which is one factor making the land cheaper. The growers find local farmers willing to sell their water under the table, and it gets piped across acreage to reach the grow operations. According to the video, all of that is groundwater.


It's a good expose. It will be interesting to see if anyone in state gov't will get on the ball and do something about this.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

Culture has lots if not everything to do with this.
Would you think that the Japanese or the Saudi’s might be involved with this?
What about the Germans or Israelis ?

Me I don’t feel the need to be politically correct so my bet is on either Americans that need money or Mexicans that need money.

Every culture/ethnicity has some sort of criminal element to it, some more than others and Russian would definitely be more well known for that than all the ones you listed. Russian organized crime in the United States has been going on for a long time and isn't exactly a secret and is fairly common knowledge.

Yeah a culture who is dominated by an Oligarchy, no way there is criminal activity going on........ LOL

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

You need to watch the video. I just did a moment ago. It's very concerning what's going on, and the most concerning is the m.o. of the Hmongs relocating to Siskiyou from Minnesota.

RE: Russians, and "culture": the drug use and trafficking issue in Russia exploded after 1990. I'm not sure what you mean, that drug use, trafficking, possibly even growing/concocting, doesn't fit the cultural profile. And Russia/USSR has a long tradition of underground economy and Black Market activities. Also; corruption of elected leadership and LE. You could even say, that these afore-mentioned things were part of Soviet "culture", resulting from a repressive regime that fostered back-room dealing and underground activity. One could argue about whether Soviet-era work-arounds to a repressive and corrupt system are part of Russian "culture" or rather, a distortion of it, or the result cynicism born of corruption, but the Czarist system had its corrupt elements, too.

In any case, as I pointed out earlier, it boils down to a simple thing: money. Where there's easy money to be made in large quantities, mafias will move in, and that includes the US-based Russian mafias. This is not to deny that Mexican cartels are also involved.

That was so bizarre. "no, no way my fellow Ruski's are doing this. I'm European, I know!" LOL.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by sav858

That was so bizarre. "no, no way my fellow Ruski's are doing this. I'm European, I know!" LOL.

Well, ok as long as we're getting into it, one little-known fact about the Russian colony in Harbin, Manchuria, is that some of its members grew their own opium. And some of them, after relocating to Seattle, continued to. They said it was good medicine for upset stomachs. Others, however, were above that. I don't mean to malign an entire community and its offshoots; only to introduce a bit of reality. Insider info only; you didn't hear it from me.

[mgforshort]

California was always friendly to the use and cultivation of marijuana -- it is a big part of being progressive, such as, weed is good, but leaf blowers are bad. In certain counties the growers and sellers are not welcome because they bring much violence with their trade, after all, they aren't into carrots or beans. In the counties where growers and sellers are allowed the government shot the goose laying the eggs by charging so much for permits and taxes that the illegal operators can sell the product for much less and still make a profit.

[NJ Brazen_3133]

I make this thread in the political subforum already.

You guys need to send all the antifa/BLM protesters up there and get up all in the faces of the criminals

Or at least send in the Nat Guard if there is not enough sheriffs deputies and CHIPs.

[popwar]

Is this grow area mainly centered around the emerald triangle? Redding is on my list to move to in the near future to explore and hike all over up north. What areas should one avoid up north?