ORONDO — The Columbia River Drug Task Force (CRDTF) says it has shut down a major illegal indoor cannabis growing operation in rural Douglas County following a large-scale law enforcement action on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

According to Sgt. Cory Bernaiche, the operation was the result of a long-term investigation conducted jointly by CRDTF and the Washington State Patrol’s Cannabis Enforcement Response Team (CERT). Multiple agencies assisted in the execution of a search warrant at several properties in the 21800 block of U.S. Highway 97, including the East Cascade SWAT Team, Washington State Department of Ecology, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and local fire and EMS units.

Investigators said the buildings, located within an orchard, had been converted into indoor grow facilities housing thousands of cannabis plants. During the search, multiple individuals were detained. The primary suspect, 51-year-old Yahui Wu, was arrested and booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center. Wu faces charges of illegal manufacturing, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a building for drug purposes.

Authorities described the operation as dangerous due to the presence of chemicals, carbon dioxide tanks, and other hazards inside the structures. Specialists from Ecology and CERT worked to clear the buildings before thousands of cannabis plants were removed and destroyed under the terms of the warrant.

In total, more than 3,000 illegal cannabis plants were seized. Investigators believe the harvested product was intended for distribution on the black market across the United States.

In a statement, the task force expressed appreciation for the collaboration among all responding agencies, calling the operation “extremely labor-intensive and hazardous” but successful in removing a major illegal grow operation from the region.