On Tuesday, September 10, 2024 the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at a property located on Maple Way in Bly, Oregon. Law enforcement surveillance of the property revealed what appeared to be an illegal outdoor marijuana grow site.
Gerado Javier Ceja-Caloca, 41, of Portland, Oregon and Raquel Rosales-Ceja, 44, of Vancouver, Washington are the listed owners of the property on Maple Way. Neither were located on scene and a recommendation of criminal charges was sent to the Klamath County District Attorney’s Office.
Ramon Arellano-Diaz, 46, of Madera, California and Miguel Cardoza-Romero, 37, of Hughson, California were located on scene. Both were arrested and charged with:
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana (ORS 475B.337)
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana (ORS 475B.349)
The on-scene investigation confirmed a large outdoor illegal marijuana grow site containing 5,350 marijuana plants. Three firearms and ammunition were seized during the search. Also discovered was the illegal use of water used to irrigate the marijuana plants from a domestic well. It is estimated that more than 706,000 gallons of water was illegally used to grow this amount of marijuana. The investigation for the crime of Unlawful Use or Appropriation of Ground Water (ORS 537.535) continues.
Investigators observed a considerable amount of trash and debris consisting of plastic coverings, toxic fertilizers and more scattered throughout the property. The property also showed evidence of future expansion and illegal manufacturing of marijuana.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Klamath County District Attorney’s Officer, Oregon State Police, Basin Inter-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team, Klamath County Solid Waste, Klamath County Code Enforcement, Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon State Water Master.
