EL MONTE — Sheriff’s investigators Friday announced the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of more than 1,000 marijuana plants, ecstasy pills and “Mollies” on Halloween, when deputies went trick-or-treating armed with a search warrant at four El Monte homes.
The raids took place Oct. 31 at four homes located on the same lot in the 12400 block of Magnolia Street, just east of Durfee Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Capt. Christopher Nee said.
Sheriff’s narcotics detectives assigned to the sheriff’s Temple Station spearheaded the bust, which was originally intended to target only two homes, Sgt. Sherif Morsi said in a written statement.
“During the service of the warrant, narcotics detectives were able to identify the two additional adjacent residences as also being involved in the marijuana cultivation operation,” Morse said. “All four residences are located on the same lot, which is within two city blocks of Mountain View High School.”
More than 1,000 pot plants and cultivation equipment, valued at about half a million dollars, were seized from the four homes, officials said.
The suspects were living in one of the homes, and growing their illicit crop in the other three, Nee said.
Investigators also found a “sizeable quantity” of both ecstasy pills and “Mollies” — a methamphetamine derivative, Morsi said.
Four suspects, described as Asian men and suspected gang members, were arrested during the bust, the sergeant said.
Their names were not released Friday as the investigation continued, Nee said.
“It is estimated that this size of an operation could produce over $6 million worth of marijuana per year,” Morsi said.
Additionally, the suspects are accused of stealing the electricity used for the grow operation from Southern California Edison, valued at about $200,000 during the 2013 calendar year.
Detectives declined to discuss further details of the case, and was unclear whether it was related to any other marijuana growing operations discovered by law enforcement officials in the San Gabriel Valley.

PHOTOS courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department