LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The investigation of a water theft in the Clearlake Oaks area led this week to an arrest and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s largest seizure of illegal marijuana, estimated to be worth several million dollars.

On Tuesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Roadmap Task force and the Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Unit, conducted an investigation regarding water theft in the area of Henderson Drive.

During their investigation, detectives located three residences used to dry and process marijuana, the sheriff’s office reported.

Authorities said the investigation revealed all three residences were being used to illegally process marijuana for sales and were connected with the reported theft of water.

The sheriff’s office said the residences were secured by detectives and a search warrant for all three residences was obtained and executed late on Tuesday afternoon.

Detectives located and seized a 12 gauge shotgun, 2,326 marijuana plants and approximately 7,600 pounds of processed marijuana, a large majority of which was packaged and ready for sale.

The marijuana is estimated to have an approximate value of $7 million, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives contacted and detained Salvador Diaz Maciel, 52, at one of the residences. Maciel was subsequently arrested and initially booked at the Lake County Correctional Facility for illegal cultivation and processing of marijuana.

The seizure of 7,600 pounds is the single largest seizure of processed marijuana by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, to date, the agency reported.

“While licensed cannabis growers struggle to remain compliant with the regulations required of this industry, and further struggle to remain financially viable while dealing with the associated costs, such as fees, permits, and taxes, there continues to be a black market for this product,” said Sheriff Brian Martin.

“Operations such as this one pump large amounts of unregulated and untaxed cannabis into the market,” Martin said. “They avoid the costs that legitimate growers have to encumber by stealing water, avoiding taxes, and not complying with any regulations. These operations adversely impact the legal industry, have negative impacts on the environment, and are frequently the cause of other criminal activity. We will continue our efforts against large scale illegal operations such as this one.”

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Lake County Roadmap Task Force or Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Unit at 707-262-4200.