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Record Amount of Illegal Pot and Guns Seized from Newberg Property


Credit: Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office

By: Buz Deliere | October 21, 2022


The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office made what they say is the largest illegal marijuana bust in department history while serving a search warrant last week. The sheriff’s office says 76,930 pounds of cannabis and several guns were found at an operation on 14000 block Stone Road near Newberg. After conducting surveillance operations over several months which led up to this major breakthrough that has helped them take five people into custody for drug trafficking charges including weapons violations. The five suspects that were arrested at the property, which was reportedly being run by major drug trafficking organizations, didn't have any licenses filed for growing/producing medical marijuana prior to the bust.


In addition to the drugs and guns, officials found $80 thousand cash in this raid. They also discovered evidence that linked these transactions with people from Mexico.

“There were receipts recovered at the property showing multiple large dollar amount wire transfers going from Oregon to the state of Michoacan, Mexico,” YCSO went on to say “The property essentially was set up as a receiving and processing facility, as the amount of marijuana on the property far exceeded what could be produced on the property.”

The cannabis is believed to been grown elsewhere and taken to the location for processing, distribution and sale. The street value is estimated at $76 million in Oregon but according to reports could be much higher on the East coast at upwards of $200 million

"Nothing about this operation was legal. The amount of marijuana present at this address was unquestionably the result of illegal marijuana grows which in nearly every circumstance we have seen in Yamhill County, exploits human labor in substandard conditions with no workplace protections or equitable pay." YCSO stated

The five suspects are all residents of Newberg, and it is believed that they have been cultivating marijuana for export purposes. The officers on scene investigating reported documents which suggested this extremely large-scale organized drug trafficking organization had been regularly traveling out state to engage in unlawful exports from Oregon. The men, 28-year-old Ulises Valdovinos Chavez, 32-year-old Luis Guerrero Rubio, 30-year-old Jose Alfredo Esquivel, 23-year-old Miguel Angel Valdovinos Chavez and 23-year-old Francisco Franco Rodriguez, were arrested for the unlawful manufacture and possession of cannabis and cannabis items.


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