Multi-Agency Operation Seizes Roughly 2,700 Pounds of Methamphetamine, Dismantling Major Drug Trafficking Organization 

March 3, 2026 – Calaveras County Sheriff's Office officials report that on February 27, 2026, a coordinated multi-agency enforcement operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,500 pounds of finished methamphetamine. Investigators also located an estimated 1,270 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in a partially processed state, pending laboratory confirmation.

Last Friday, more than 100 law enforcement personnel executed simultaneous high-risk search warrants at residential properties in Valley Springs (Calaveras County), Turlock, and Modesto, California.

The warrant service resulted in:

• Arrests: 8 individuals taken into federal and state custody. One of which was on the National Terrorist Watch List.
• Narcotics Seized: Approximately 1,500 lbs. of suspected bulk methamphetamine, roughly 1,270 lbs. of methamphetamine in a partially processed state, 1,900 actively growing marijuana plants, and roughly 107 lbs. of processed marijuana.
• Firearms Recovered: 12 firearms

The February 27 enforcement action marked the culmination of a five-month investigation known as “Operation Trash Panda,” which targeted an alleged drug trafficking organization suspected of manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine throughout Northern California.

The total quantity of methamphetamine seized over the course of the investigation was approximately 2,700 pounds, in various stages of production, which represents a substantial disruption to an alleged narcotic supply chain operating within mountain and valley communities across the region.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office played a major leadership role in this operation. In addition to providing significant manpower, they deployed their helicopter to support the mission from the air, helping with coordination, safety, and overall logistics. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office’s partnership was key to the success of this investigation.

The investigation was initially led by the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit (CNEU) in coordination with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. As the investigation intensified, our partners with the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sacramento Area Intelligence Narcotics Team (SAINT), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET), High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), agreed to assist.

Participating agencies contributed investigative resources, authored search warrants, provided analytical support, surveillance operations, and operational personnel necessary to execute the coordinated warrant service across multiple jurisdictions.

“Today’s operation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships,” said Sheriff Rachelle Whiting of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office. “Through collaborative investigative efforts, we were able to significantly disrupt an alleged narcotic trafficking network operating within our communities.”

The investigation commenced in October 2025 after deputies with the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office responded to an illegal dumping complaint in a remote area of the county. Due to the suspicious nature of the materials located, CNEU detectives initiated a follow-up investigation.

The discovery prompted the five-month multi-agency investigation. Through coordinated investigative efforts, authorities identified primary suspects and three separate locations believed to be associated with the suspected manufacturing and distribution operation.

The Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office are working in close coordination with investigating agencies to evaluate the evidence, determine appropriate jurisdiction, and identify applicable state and/or federal charges to ensure the most effective prosecutorial course of action.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional arrests, charges, or asset forfeiture proceedings may be forthcoming as the case progresses. According to agency records, this is the largest methamphetamine seizure ever for the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.

All individuals arrested or referenced in connection with this investigation are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source & photos: Calaveras County Sheriff's Office