A helicopter or helicopters flying low over Trinity County for several consecutive days have drawn the attention of residents and raised questions about law enforcement activity in the region on social media. According to Trinity County Sheriff Tim Saxon, the flights are part of a coordinated crackdown on unlicensed cannabis grows.
“Operations were conducted targeting unlicensed cannabis cultivation sites in Trinity County,” Saxon confirmed in an email on Wednesday, June 25. “Search warrants were served on multiple sites that were confirmed to not be involved in the state or local licensing program.”
He added that “multiple agencies were involved in this coordinated operation to assist in curtailing the black-market cultivation that continues to plague the legal market in Trinity County and in California.”
Saxon told us, “These illegal grows have a substantial negative impact on the many legal operators who make a significant monetary investment to contribute in a lawful business.”
A helicopter used in at least one part of the operation was photographed on the ground in Hayfork. The aircraft appears to be an HH-60G Pave Hawk, a variant of the Sikorsky Black Hawk used primarily by the U.S. Air Force for personnel recovery and combat support missions.
This model is equipped with a nose-mounted refueling probe, allowing for aerial refueling, and features side-mounted weapon systems, suggesting a military or federal tactical application. Its matte gray coloring and configuration are consistent with those deployed in specialized operations.
Given the context of the Trinity County cannabis raids, it is plausible though not proven that the helicopter and its crew are assisting under a federal task force umbrella, which often combines state, local, and federal resources—including Department of Defense support under specific legal frameworks such as Title 32 or the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP).
One resident reported to us, “Every morning for the last 3 days I heard a copter working west of the Pines. Yesterday I went to Scott Flat Campground and saw a huge law enforcement action there—I saw pickup trucks, ATVs, etc.”
The helicopter activity has not appeared on public flight tracking platforms such as Flightradar24, further fueling curiosity and speculation.
Sheriff Saxon noted that more information may be available once the agencies involved have completed their debriefing.
The raids are the latest in a series of enforcement actions aimed at curbing illegal cannabis cultivation in the county, which like the rest of the Emerald Triangle has a thriving unlicensed market operating alongside the regulated industry.
