On Thursday, September 22, 2022, the Oregon State Police Southwest Region Drug Enforcement Section team, with assistance from several other agencies, served search warrants on two separate locations in Prospect, Jackson County: a warehouse near 1st St. and an address in the 400 block of Red Blanket Rd. Located at the warehouse property were one firearm and approximately 1,800 pounds of illegal, processed marijuana packaged for transport/sale on the black market. One individual, Yasmany Mesa, age 30, was detained, identified, interviewed, and subsequently lodged in the Jackson County Jail on the charges of; 166.270 Possession of Firearm by Felon (Fel, C); 475C.337 Possession of Marijuana – Person >= 21 – Over 8 Lbs. Usable (Fel, C); 475C.345 Delivery of Marijuana – Over 8 Lbs. Usable in Public Place or Household (Fel, C); and 475C.349 Manufacture of Marijuana – Over 12 Plants. Located and seized at the Red Blanket address were approximately 2,360 pounds of illegal marijuana, 416 illegal marijuana plants, approximately $17,000.00 US Currency, twelve firearms, and an assortment of trailers and vehicles associated with the illegal marijuana criminal enterprise. Two individuals were detained, identified, interviewed, and later released. All illegal marijuana seized at both locations was ultimately destroyed. The OSP SWR DES team was assisted by the Interagency Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) of the Medford Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (AFT) and the OSP Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The investigation is ongoing with no further information available for release.
