Siskiyou County Man Arrested for Alleged Transportation for Sale of Over 1,300 Pounds of Cannabis
SISKIYOU COUNTY, CA — JANUARY 27TH 2026
“Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 55 year old Shel Saunders of Fort Bragg, CA after he was found to be transporting 1,363 pounds of illegally cultivated marijuana flower from the Mount Shasta Vista area.
Saunders was driving a sprinter van containing 74 bags of marijuana and $253,870 in US currency when he was pulled over for a traffic violation. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and investigators could not locate any paperwork or licensure that indicated the marijuana was legally grown or certified for sale on the legal market. The large amount of US currency was believed to be connected to the sales of the illicit product, and a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun was located in the engine compartment. Saunders was then arrested for the transportation and possession of marijuana for sale and booked in the Siskiyou County jail.
It is important to note that marijuana grown illegally in Siskiyou County is not held to the same quality and safety standards as marijuana products that comply with California regulations. Concerningly, illegal marijuana is often grown using toxic, banned pesticides that remain on the product after it is harvested and processed. Therefore, we encourage the public to visit the DCC Product Safety Portal: https://recalls.cannabis.ca.gov/ to verify whether or not they are consuming legally-sourced products.”
