California Sheriff Warns of Cartel Threats Amid Tribal Land Cannabis Raid Controversy

Mendocino County Sheriff Matthew Kendall is defending his department's actions following a lawsuit filed by the Round Valley Indian Tribes and several individuals, who claim that sheriff's deputies unlawfully raided cannabis farms on sovereign tribal land. The controversy has cast a spotlight on the ongoing conflicts between local law enforcement and Native American tribes over jurisdiction, especially as the region faces rising concerns about violent crime and illegal drug trafficking.

Sheriff Kendall maintains that his office acted in response to urgent calls from both tribal and non-tribal residents who reported an increase in gunfire and criminal activity linked to illicit cannabis cultivation. "They're begging me, saying, ‘Please, we’ve got gunshots going on all night, all around us,'" Kendall emphasized, highlighting the high level of fear among community members. He further described the local economy as "very depressed" and noted, "It's kind of ripe for picking for bad things to come in," referring to the infiltration of drug cartel organizations.

According to Kendall, the valley is plagued with an estimated 1 million marijuana plants, and satellite images allegedly reveal a patchwork of large-scale grow sites throughout the area. He asserted that law enforcement presence is necessary, stating, "Right now, I believe drug trafficking organizations have a toehold into that area and other places in my county." Despite these warnings, the raids have sparked fierce backlash from tribal leaders and residents, who argue that the sheriff’s office lacks legal authority to enforce state cannabis regulations on reservation land.

The federal lawsuit seeks a court injunction to halt any future raids by local authorities on tribal properties. Plaintiffs allege that officers destroyed personal crops—including medical cannabis used to treat chronic pain—and left homes and gardens in disarray. One of the plaintiffs, April James, claims her medicinal cannabis operation was destroyed, despite her use of the plant for severe arthritis and spinal issues. Another, 86-year-old Eunice Swearinger, reportedly had her vegetable garden and legally licensed cannabis plants uprooted while her grandchildren watched.

The heart of the dispute lies in the interpretation of Public Law 280, which grants certain states—including California—authority to enforce criminal law on tribal lands. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue this does not extend to regulated industries like cannabis, where the tribe has enacted its own sets of rules. "He has a duty to enforce criminal law on the reservation," said attorney David Dehnert, "but he has no authority to enforce California regulatory law."

Furthermore, lawyers allege that some of the raids were carried out without valid search warrants and that the sheriff deliberately withheld information from judges regarding the intended locations. Attorney Lester Marston criticized the sheriff's actions, claiming, "He knew that the tribe had enacted a tribal law prohibiting the possession, sale and cultivation of cannabis, except for medical purposes."

Sheriff Kendall, meanwhile, denies any wrongdoing and strongly rejects suggestions that the raids were racially motivated or targeted unfairly. "That is a load of bull----," he said. He insisted that the operations focused solely on the largest illegal cultivators posing the greatest threat to public safety, and that he did not personally determine which sites were searched.

The lawsuit also names multiple other officials and agencies, including the Humboldt County Sheriff, the California Highway Patrol commissioner, and the counties themselves, reflecting the complex web of authority and responsibility in rural Northern California. As the federal court weighs the case, the dispute underscores longstanding tensions over sovereignty, safety, and the evolving legal landscape of cannabis in the United States.