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Calaveras County honors narcotics unit after largest local meth seizure in office history
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Summary
The Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation April 14 commending the Calaveras Narcotics Enforcement Unit for a multiagency investigation that yielded large drug seizures; Sheriff Rochelle Whiting described the operation and thanked investigators. The board voted to adopt the proclamation 4-0-1.
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on April 14 adopted a proclamation recognizing the county's Narcotics Enforcement Unit (CNEU) for a multiagency investigation that culminated in what the proclamation described as one of the largest methamphetamine laboratory seizures tied to domestic operations.
Sheriff Rochelle Whiting, who accepted the board's recognition on behalf of investigators, described a months-long effort dubbed "Operation Trash Panda" that involved roughly 100 law-enforcement personnel executing high-risk search warrants in a coordinated operation. Whiting said the seizure included large quantities of controlled substances and firearms; the proclamation and the sheriff's remarks cited numbers such as about 1,900 marijuana plants, roughly 100 pounds of processed marijuana, 12 firearms and approximately 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine in various stages of processing. The proclamation characterized the meth seizure as "over a ton" and said the investigation represented one of the county's largest narcotics enforcement accomplishments.
"They literally dug through trash, we spent five months of tenacious investigation to pull this together," Whiting said, adding that investigators will frame the proclamation in their office as a reminder of their work. She said the operation led to arrests and federal involvement in prosecution and credited multiple partner agencies that assisted in the investigation.
Board members praised the sheriff's office and interagency partners. The chair said the county was grateful for the law-enforcement work and that the seizure likely prevented substantial amounts of dangerous narcotics from reaching the community. The board moved and seconded the proclamation and the clerk announced the motion passed "4-0-1," which the meeting transcript describes as the vote tally.
Why it matters: the board's action publicly recognizes local law enforcement's investigative work and signals continued county support for narcotics enforcement and interagency coordination with federal and regional partners. The proclamation attached detailed quantities and partner agencies but the sheriff noted some operational details remain part of an ongoing investigation.
What happens next: the proclamation will be provided to the sheriff's office and displayed, per Whiting's remarks; no additional board action was recorded at the meeting.
