Deputies bust one of the largest Butane Honey Oil labs in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County deputies say they’ve discovered one of the largest Butane Honey Oil labs in Aptos.

On Tuesday, deputies were called out to a property near the 1000 block of Cathedral Drive for a suspicious car being loaded with bags of pot.

Deputies arrived and found butane canisters, loose leaf marijuana, and a large amount of Butane Honey Oil.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office got a search warrant and found a Butane Honey Oil operation in a pop-up garage on the property, Wednesday.

The lab contained about 3,000 pounds of loose marijuana, 25 pounds of processed Butane Honey Oil and equipment worth about $40,000. Guns, ammunition and cash was also found.

Sgt. Brian Cleveland said this is one of the largest labs the sheriff’s office has investigated in the past few years.

Two Aptos men, ages 24 and 25-years-old are suspected of running the operation.

The investigation is ongoing.

Sheriff Jim Hart said, “This was a dangerous drug lab that was set up in a residential neighborhood in a
heavily wooded area. I am appreciative of the alert community member who called this in and for the
quick response from my deputy sheriffs. We all have to be vigilant to protect our neighborhoods from
the hazards this kind of lab can cause.”