Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Busts Illegal Marijuana Operation

NEWBERG, Ore. — Seven individuals face charges following a major bust of an illegal marijuana operation outside Newberg. On Sept. 11, sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant at a property in the 17000 block of NE Albert Way, uncovering a large-scale unlicensed cannabis production facility.

The raid resulted in the seizure of 1,608 growing marijuana plants and 260 pounds of processed marijuana. Authorities also discovered a butane hash oil (BHO) lab on the premises, which required intervention from specially trained personnel from the Oregon State Police Northwest Region Marijuana Team to safely dismantle.

According to BakerRisk, a risk management company, BHO labs pose extreme danger due to the low boiling point and vapor pressure of butane, which is a significant explosion risk, even with the smallest sparks or heat sources. This process creates THC-concentrated marijuana products like oils, waxes, and shatter.

The property, a former equestrian facility, is owned by Hye and Ji Moon, according to county records. According to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) public records, the property was converted into a legal marijuana grow operation in 2017. That license expired on Dec. 12, 2019. 

DoYoung Moon, Ji Moon’s brother, who lives on the property, said Ji and his business partner ended their partnership in 2021 when Ji and Hye purchased the property outright.

DoYoung was on the property in the house he rents, which is separate from the grow operation, when Yamhill County Sheriff’s deputies executed the search warrant. He was arrested along with six others: Feliciano Calderon Garcia, 41, from Hillsboro; Maria Castaneda, 24, from Hillsboro; Bertola Alvarez Castaneda, 37, from Hillsboro; Santiago Calderon Garcia, 57, from Hillsboro; Anahi Calderon Alvarez, 19, no residence given; and Maria Antonia Alvarez Castaneda, 32, from Newberg.

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Captain Todd Winslow said the Sheriff’s Office enlisted help from multiple agencies, including the Newberg-Dundee Police Department (NDPD), to assist with executing the warrant. Due to the potential firearm risk, NDPD sent its newly acquired armored vehicle in case the confrontation became violent. Winslow said it did not.

“It was great to have that resource available,” Winslow said. “Not only as a deterrent and protection from potential gunfire, but also because it can hold multiple officers who can get to the scene quickly and safely to help control the situation.”

The former equestrian arena housed individual grow rooms and living quarters, while outdoor greenhouse structures were used for additional marijuana cultivation.

In June 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill that makes landowners responsible for the aftermath and cleanup of illegal grow operations in an effort to curb the illegal cannabis farming market. Hye and Ji Moon were unreachable for comment.

No regulatory agencies have issued licenses for cannabis production or processing at this location since the license expired in 2019, making the entire operation illegal.

“As with many of these illegal grow sites, the only motivation is pure profit,” said a spokesperson for the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. “The individuals who are either recruited, enticed, or coerced into working at the sites are not afforded the same workplace protections that are required of legal employers and marijuana production businesses.”

These protections typically include workers’ compensation insurance, protective equipment, paid leave, and overtime compensation.

Law enforcement documented the improper storage and use of hazardous chemicals at the grow site through photos and videos, highlighting the potential dangers associated with unregulated operations.