Almost $3 million in mushrooms seized during Lake Elsinore drug bust
The Riverside County Sheriff's seized almost $3 million worth of psilocybin mushrooms after serving a search warrant at a home in Lake Elsinore.
The investigation began in August 2024, when deputies responded to a call from a business regarding a suspicious package, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Inside the package, deputies found mushrooms and marijuana products.
Investigators say they identified 43-year-old Jesse Arroyo of Lake Elsinore as the person who allegedly sent the package to the business.
According to the department, deputies served a search warrant at Arroyo's home in Lake Elsinore in November and found approximately 445 pounds of vacuum-sealed psilocybin mushrooms.
"The property contained separate structures used for the cultivation, processing, and storage of large amounts of psilocybin mushrooms," said the Riverside Sheriff's in a news release.
Deputies also found almost 3,000 bags of psilocybin mushrooms in various stages of growth, two semi-automatic rifles, a shotgun, four semi-automatic handguns, one semi-automatic handgun suppressor, and two ballistic vests, officials said.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the estimated value of the seized mushroom was $2.9 million.
Arroyo was booked in the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of multiple felony drug and weapons offenses.