A law enforcement operation cracking down on the possession and sale of illegal fireworks led Gardena police to the largest single seizure of illicit explosives in recent California history, police said Wednesday as they urged residents to report any suspected illegal pyrotechnic activity.
Gardena police seized more than 75 tons of illegal fireworks, more than doubling the previous record of 32 tons seized in a South Los Angeles warehouse in 2021.
“This investigation is a crucial part of our comprehensive fireworks enforcement plan,” Gardena police Lt. Christopher Cuff told reporters at a Wednesday morning news conference.
Believed to have been imported from China, the fireworks were discovered stacked in boxes inside a commercial warehouse in the 17000 block of Vermont Avenue and seized during a raid at the location on June 21. Details on what led investigators to the warehouse were not released, though officials said they were conducting fireworks enforcement as part of a comprehensive plan led by Gardena Police Chief Mike Saffell.
“The objective of our fireworks plan is to improve the quality of life for the residents in the city of Gardena, namely our seniors, our veterans and our pets to ensure community safety,” Cuff told reporters.
The 75 tons of illegal fireworks, described as an ‘extraordinary amount’ by Cal Fire, were valued at an estimated $7 million to $10 million and included 10 pounds of bulk homemade explosives and 2,000 illegal destructive devices. With the assistance of Cal Fire, the Hawthorne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, over 153 palettes containing the fireworks were loaded and transported in stable condition to a fire-safe storage space.
“It took five 53-foot trailers and one 40-foot big rig to remove all the fireworks,” Cuff added.
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The fireworks were taken to several secured storage facilities, with at least some being stored in the San Bernardino area where they will be managed by the Cal Fire Office of the State Fire Marshal. As of Wednesday the fireworks had not been detonated, a process Cuff described as “complicated” due to California laws.
The final destination and disposition of these items has not yet been determined, the Cal Fire Office of the State Fire Marshal said in a statement. The office is responsible for destroying the illegal fireworks once they are seized.
Three suspects — 44-year-old Alejandro Rodriguez of Wilmington, 30-year-old Natalie Navarro of Carson, and 25-year-old Daniel Gudino of Wilmington — were arrested and booked on suspicion of possession of explosives and other various weapons violation offenses. All three were subsequently released on their own recognizance, according to jail records.
City News Service contributed to this report.