By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
Cal Fire officials recently seized 75 tons of illegal fireworks that were found in a Gardena warehouse.
A Cal Fire spokesman on Wednesday, June 28 said the illegal explosives, valued at $10 million, had come across the border from Pahrump, Nevada, and then were transported to the warehouse. Authorities reportedly acted on a tip from a neighboring business owner who witnessed suspicious activity taking place.
One Cal Fire law enforcement officer called the operation “the largest illegal fireworks apprehension in California history.” He added that it required one 40-foot van and five trailers to transport the illegal goods to a remote location in the desert area of San Bernardino County where they were to be detonated.
The three arrested suspects include Alejandro Rodriguez,44, of Wilmington; Daniel Gudino,25, also from Wilmington; and 30-year-old Natalie Navarro from Carson.
San Bernardino County Fire Marshal Mike Horton told the Alpine Mountaineer, “San Bernardino County has zero tolerance for dangerous fireworks. Through our multiple-agency taskforce, we have prevented the influx of these dangerous fireworks to multiple counties in Southern California. The multi-agency taskforce will continue operation in and around the Fourth of July holiday period.”
Horton added that the penalty for violating California’s illegal fireworks laws could be as high as a $50,000 fine and one year in prison.
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