ARVIN, Calif. -- Over the past several weeks the Kern County Sheriff’s Office has been working the beginning of this year’s illegal Marijuana growing season.

In the past three weeks there has been three illegal Marijuana gardens located and seized off of the area east of highway 223 between highway 58 and east of the City of Arvin, according to the KCSD.

These cases have resulted in over 10,000 Marijuana plants seized and four suspects arrested related to this specific area, the KCSD reported.

At 6 a.m. Tuesday, the KCSO Major Narcotics Violator Unit supported by the KCSO Air Unit and members of the Tri County HIDTA team executed a search warrant in Olive Garden Canyon.

This Canyon is located approximately five miles southwest of the intersection of highway 58 and highway 223.

KCSD said deputies’ located two men inside a tent within a marijuana grow at the location.

The grow consisted of 2,022 marijuana plants, the KCSO reported.

The men had apparently been living at the location for the past several months.

Also, a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol was seized from the men.

The men, Jeronimo Arreolla, 25, and Onel Madrigal, 29, were arrested on charges of cultivation of marijuana and conspiracy to cultivate marijuana.

Both men were transported and booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Central Receiving Facility.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office locates and seizes about 25 marijuana grow a year in our local mountains. Not only is there the concern for the local wildlife and environment, but also there is a concern for the safety of our local citizens hiking in our mountains.