Suspected Gang Ties Revealed in 2020 California Marijuana Operation Killings
Authorities link the deaths of seven Laotian individuals at an illegal grow site to a targeted attack by gang members, underscoring issues in California's black-market cannabis industry.
- Seven victims, all of Laotian descent, were killed in a 2020 shooting at a rural marijuana grow site in Aguanga, California.
- Investigators suspect gang members of Laotian descent orchestrated the targeted attack, using a dark-colored SUV during the incident.
- The illegal operation housed over 1,000 marijuana plants and hundreds of pounds of processed cannabis, with more than 20 people living on the property in makeshift dwellings.
- California's legal marijuana market faces challenges from high taxes and regulatory barriers, which have allowed black-market operations to persist and attract criminal activity.
- Authorities plan to provide updates on the ongoing investigation and efforts to combat unregulated cannabis farming in a news conference.