A quiet stretch of Camptonville turned into a crime scene on June 2, when Yuba County sheriff's deputies rolled in with a search warrant and rolled out with one suspect under arrest along with a sizable haul of drugs, cash and a handgun. The county's Marijuana Enforcement Team led the operation, taking a suspect into custody at the scene without incident. Deputies say the investigation is still active as they sort through evidence and work with prosecutors on potential charges.
What Investigators Say They Found
In a Facebook post, the Yuba County Sheriff's Office said investigators uncovered nearly four pounds of ketamine and about seven ounces of cocaine during the warrant service. Deputies also reported seizing MDMA, LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, along with thousands of marijuana seeds, roughly $14,000 in U.S. currency and a 1911-style firearm.
The sheriff's office identified the person taken into custody as Arion Demarco, who was booked into the Yuba County Jail on narcotics- and firearm-related charges, according to the post.
Why The Marijuana Enforcement Team Is Involved
Local authorities have zeroed in on foothill communities like Camptonville because of the scale of unpermitted grows and their impacts on water supplies and wildlife habitat. The Marijuana Enforcement Team has been a key player in that push. Earlier this year, the Yuba Water Agency noted that the team had executed dozens of warrants and cleared large amounts of illegal cannabis from the watershed as part of broader enforcement efforts.
County officials say that kind of targeted work is aimed at public safety on the ground and at reducing environmental damage tied to illicit cultivation.
Not The First Camptonville Raid
This is not Camptonville's first run-in with a major search warrant. A 2018 item described how the Marijuana Enforcement Team served another warrant in the town that turned up hundreds of marijuana plants and other controlled substances. That earlier case helps explain why deputies continue to focus on remote foothill properties for follow-up operations. YubaNet reported on the 2018 search.
Legal Status And Next Steps
According to the sheriff's Facebook post, Demarco was taken into custody at the scene without incident and booked into the Yuba County Jail on narcotics- and firearm-related allegations. The department says the investigation remains ongoing as deputies finish processing the evidence.
The sheriff's office also reminded community members that they can report suspected illegal drug activity anonymously to help support these kinds of investigations. Prosecutors will decide on formal charges once the case file and evidence review are complete.
