What looked like a quiet pear orchard outside Central Point was allegedly pulling double duty as a full-scale black-market cannabis operation, according to investigators with the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team and partnering agencies. On June 16, in the 1000 block of Old Stage Road, officers say they dismantled the hidden grow, seized thousands of cannabis plants along with a very large quantity of processed marijuana, and arrested 35-year-old Jorge Alexander Ruiz on felony production and manufacture charges. Authorities say the property had applied for a state hemp license while allegedly tucking cannabis starter plants among the pear trees.
According to a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office post, IMET detectives served a search warrant at the rural site and seized roughly 25,000 marijuana plants and about 16,000 pounds of usable cannabis. The office lists the investigation as JCSO case 26-2842. The post identifies Jorge Alexander Ruiz as the suspect taken into custody and states he faces three felony counts of unlawful production, manufacture and possession of a marijuana item.
Who led the investigation
The Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team, or IMET, is described by the City of Medford as a multi-agency task force funded by a grant from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission and staffed by local deputies, state troopers and prosecutors. The unit regularly teams up with state and federal partners to hit large, unlicensed grows across the Rogue Valley.
How investigators say the operation worked
Investigators say the grow was tucked into a pear orchard, with the property applying for an Oregon Department of Agriculture hemp license while allegedly hiding cannabis starter plants among the trees, according to the sheriff’s post. Detectives described the location as an unlicensed black-market production site and said there was no authorization to grow, handle or process marijuana there.
A pattern across the Rogue Valley
Officials say this latest seizure follows a pattern of large illegal-grow takedowns in Jackson County over the past several years, including a 2024 IMET operation that pulled roughly 39,000 plants from rural Central Point. Local press accounts and sheriff’s releases show IMET has repeatedly gone after concealed commercial grows that operate outside Oregon’s licensing and land-use rules.
Legal next steps
The sheriff’s office says the criminal case has been sent to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for review. The listed charges for unlawful production and manufacture fall under Oregon’s cannabis statutes in ORS Chapter 475C. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the District Attorney will decide on formal filings and upcoming court dates.
How the community can report tips
Investigators are asking anyone who has information about suspected illegal marijuana activity to contact IMET’s tip line. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office provides the IMET tip line and email address for community members who want to share leads or report safety concerns.
