Back-to-back cannabis murders rock Northern California, sheriff says cartel involved
Sheriff says transnational drug trafficking organizations are operating on an Indian reservation. The same tribe is suing law enforcement over marijuana raids.
Back-to-back homicides have once again shaken Northern California’s cannabis country. At least one involves a transnational drug trafficking organization.
The cases highlight a growing crisis. As previously reported, Northern California has become a hotbed of international drug trafficking activity, endangering locals.
Mere hours apart, a shootout on an illegal cannabis grow on the Round Valley Indian Reservation resulted in one dead and two wounded. The next day, some 100 miles away over rugged backcountry roads, deputies found a body buried near an unlicensed cannabis grow on Bell Springs Road near Island Mountain.
“Up until this point we’ve received little to no help from the federal government regarding anything that has to do with illicit marijuana or transnational drug trafficking,” says Sheriff Matt Kendall of Mendocino County. “But since President Trump took office, there’s a clear change in the direction from the U.S. Attorney’s office. It seems they’re going to be more willing to step up and help.”
Two wounded, one killed in Round Valley shootout
Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a remote corner of Covelo in Round Valley in response to a 911 hang-up. The caller, an unidentified male, informed the dispatcher his friend needed help before ending the call.
Tracing the call, deputies were able to locate an unresponsive male by the side of Hulls Valley Road, victim of multiple gunshot wounds. Police found firearms and expended cartridge casings near the body. They followed a blood trail for about 1/4 mile to a large marijuana grow site.
At the same time, the officers heard reports over police radio that an adult male with possible gunshot wounds had arrived at an emergency room in nearby Ukiah. Deputies who responded to this call determined the victim was connected to the Hulls Valley Road shootout.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office were briefed and obtained a search warrant for the grow site and the scene of the shooting. After canvassing the area, deputies located another adult male with multiple gunshot wounds in need of urgent medical attention.
Both gunshot wound victims are in stable condition. The victim found on Hulls Valley Road has been identified as Jorge M. Zavala Estrella, age 30.
Sheriff Matt Kendall says he believes the case is related to international drug trafficking organizations that are operating in Northern California.
Body found on Bell Springs Road
Hours later, on Thursday, a woman who owns land about 100 miles away on Bell Springs Road near Island Mountain called the Mendocino County Sheriff’s office from her home in Texas. She informed police she had reason to believe a worker on her property might be in danger or dead.
The land owner then drove from Texas to California to file her report in person. She asked officers to accompany her to her property, which included an unlicensed marijuana grow, to check on her employee. She told officers her 100-acre property was extremely difficult to access and blocked behind multiple locked gates. The officers’ journey took several hours.
Once they arrived, officers searched the property for many hours. Close to nightfall, they eventually located partially buried remains in a state of advanced decomposition. While the identity of this victim has not been confirmed, reports suggest the sex, race, and description match that of the missing worker.
Officers stayed overnight at the property and requested additional officers to arrive the next morning to help recover the body and continue their search.
Round Valley Indian Tribes suing sheriffs for cannabis raids
These murders come on the heels of a lawsuit against law enforcement from Round Valley Indian Tribes. Among others, the tribe is suing Kendall, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal, and California Highway Patrol for cannabis raids they claim violated tribal sovereignty.
The lawsuit alleges that state law enforcement does not have jurisdiction to enforce marijuana laws on reservation land. Several plaintiffs claim to have been the victims of unnecessary force and unlawful search and seizure. In July 2024, the Tribe issued a cease-and-desist to Kendall demanding he stop further cannabis enforcement within Round Valley Indian Reservation without prior authorization from the Tribal Council.
Lester Marston, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, accused Kendall of racism in an interview with Law360.com.
“If he likes you, he cuts you slack,” Marston said. “But if he doesn’t like you, or your face is brown, then he sends his goon squad up, knocks on the door and when the 87-year-old woman responds, the AK-47s come up, and it’s ‘get down on the ground!’”
Kendall, who grew up in Covelo, says the raids targeted drug trafficking organizations who operate on the reservation.
“Obviously Marston does not know me and he does not know my family,” Kendall says. “Saying this is based on racism is a flat-out lie. That which can be brought forth with no evidence can also be dismissed with no evidence.”
During a phone interview with Kendall, he was driving to a community meeting in Covelo. He said tribal housing residents are being forced to shut off their water for 8 hours a day; many believe the overwhelming number of illicit cannabis grows is leaving residents without enough water to live.
“It’s like growing up in any small town; how many people here do you think have my phone number? I have Natives constantly calling me about gunshots, drugs. They ask me to please clean this up. These are friends and relatives. How can I not deal with this?”
A Round Valley community member who spoke about the lawsuit asked to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal.
“We are a Public Law 280 state,” the community member says. “The Council may be thinking they’re above the law, the people behind this lawsuit may be thinking they are above the law. What makes them think this? The law is clear. The sheriff has jurisdiction.”
Public Law 83-280, or PL 280, is a 1953 law that expanded state criminal jurisdiction over Indian reservations in some states including California.
The lawsuit claims the state has no jurisdiction over cannabis cultivation in Indian Country because cannabis laws are regulatory in nature, and Public Law 280 excludes enforcement of “civil/regulatory” laws.
“California permits the cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis,” the lawsuit states, listing the state health codes that regulate cannabis production. “These provisions establish civil and regulatory requirements, not prohibitory or criminal statutes, and therefore do not apply to California Indians cultivating cannabis in Indian country.”
In an interview with SFGate, Marston agreed that cartel presence on tribal land is a problem, but accused police of selective enforcement against individuals based on personal animus.
Marston has not responded to UNWON’s request for comment.
Community members say cartels bring violence, burglary, illicit drug use, trafficking, and garbage to community
The Round Valley resident describes a town torn apart by cartel violence.
“The cartels have brought us increased violence and increased murder. There’s always been some homicide here but in the past number of years there’s been way more. There’s people missing and we know they were tied to grows. There’s kids being trafficked who show up at the high school. There’s increased access to illicit drugs especially fentanyl. There’s a lot of burglary. There’s mountains and mountains and mountains of garbage and junk. It’s all connected to the cartels.”
This community member says failure to enforce cannabis laws affect the people trying to grow legally.
“The community is like, what the hell is going on? Why are we paying for these attorneys for these people? There’s one word for it: Corruption with a capital C.”
Kendall is convinced the lawsuit does not represent the sentiments or wishes of the community, and suggests he believes members of the Tribal Council may be compromised.
“Round Valley is being turned into a narco state,” he says. “I did not arrest any Natives. I did not detain any Natives. Drug trafficking organizations are growing marijuana on tribal land. You’ll notice Mr. Marston did not talk about the number of plants that were seized. I think we got 66,000-67,000 plants in two or three days. I believe there are people making a lot of money from illicit marijuana who have a lot of influence on the Tribal Council.”
Anyone with information related to either homicide should contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip-line at 707-234-2100.
The sheriff had an anti-marijuana flyer from the 1970s. How did it get so out of control?
Thank you for continuing to make this known. Decriminalization would kick these guys out of the market and get the cartels out of the game.