A five-month undercover investigation led to one of the largest domestic drug seizures in United States history last week, when Northern California law enforcement agents raided three sites and confiscated more than 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine worth an estimated $4 million on the street.
The operation, called “Operation Trash Panda,” was carried out on Friday by more than 100 law enforcement officers who simultaneously executed high-risk search warrants at three locations across Northern California. The raid targeted an alleged drug trafficking network believed to be manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine throughout the region.
Sheriff Rachelle Whiting of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office said the bust showed just how effective teamwork between agencies can be. “Today’s operation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships,” she said. “Through collaborative investigative efforts, we were able to significantly disrupt an alleged narcotic trafficking network operating within our communities.”
The first location raided was an active methamphetamine lab on the 8000 block of Center Drive in Valley Springs, in Calaveras County. Nearly 50 miles to the south, agents hit a second site at the 2000 block of Golf Road in Turlock, which according to the Los Angeles Times, had all the equipment needed to operate as a lab but was shut down before production started. A third location, at the 900 block of Reno Avenue in Modesto, was used to store and distribute drugs being sold across Northern California.
In total, agents seized approximately 1,500 pounds of finished methamphetamine and an estimated 1,270 pounds of partially processed meth, pending lab confirmation. Officers also recovered 1,900 actively growing marijuana plants, more than 107 pounds of processed marijuana, 12 firearms — including handguns bearing images of Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint — and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
The raids led to the arrest of eight suspects on state and federal charges. Federal agents also arrested 16 alleged members of Puente-13, a San Gabriel Valley-based gang affiliated with the Mexican Mafia. One of those arrested was on the National Terrorist Watch List, authorities said. Identities of those arrested are being withheld while the investigation remains active.
According to the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit (CNEU) led the initial investigation, with support from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Narcotics Team and at least nine other agencies, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Sacramento Area Intelligence Narcotics Team (SAINT), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The investigation kicked off in October 2025 after deputies responded to an illegal dumping complaint in a remote part of Calaveras County. The suspicious materials found at that site prompted detectives to dig deeper, eventually unraveling what authorities describe as a major drug trafficking organization.
“This investigation, along with the amount of illegal narcotics seized and the arrests made, will likely have a major impact on the supply and distribution of illegal drugs in Northern California communities,” the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association said in a statement. “Thank you to the local, state and federal law enforcement officers and agencies that worked to bust this operation.”
According to agency records, the seizure marks the largest methamphetamine bust in Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office history. The Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are reviewing evidence to determine charges. Additional arrests, charges, or asset forfeitures may follow as the investigation continues.
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